Mugshot of Shaqon S. Ayala. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — A St. Croix man allegedly assaulted an aged man who was trying to reason with him about his continued disrespect to an elderly woman, the victim's wife — leaving the victim with a head injury.
The suspect, Shaqon S. Ayala appeared in the Superior Court via teleconference before Judge Miguel A. Camacho for his advisement hearing while in the custody of the Bureau of Corrections. Ayala was charged with assault in the third degree, aggravated assault and battery, and destruction of property — all acts of domestic violence. He was also charged with disturbance of peace.
According to the probable cause fact sheet, on the eve of June 8 at about 11:26 pm, Police Officers Robert Combie and Sarah McFarlande were dispatched to a disturbance in progress. Upon arrival, blood was observed throughout the residence and there were broken flowerpots on the porch. Broken windows around the house were also observed.
The altercation ensued after the owner of the residence, an aged woman, told Ayala that she didn’t want anyone coming into the home after observing him sneaking a young woman in, the fact sheet said. The elderly woman told police that she opened her bedroom door wider to let Ayala know that she is watching him. In response, Ayala slammed her bedroom door closed, according to the fact sheet.
In an effort to reason with Ayala, the aged man and victim in this case held Ayala by the shoulders and told him, “What you are doing is wrong. You don’t respect [her],” according to dialogue presented in the probable cause fact sheet.
A physical struggled began. Both men tripped and fell to the floor. Ayala bit the victim on the right side of his body, punched him on his side, and stomped his foot into the victim’s chest. The victim has serious medical conditions, so officers reported these acts as “assault upon one who is aged or decrepit” in the probable cause fact sheet.
While being arrested, Officer Combie noticed cuts on Ayala’s right wrist and right pinky finger. He also smelled a strong odor of alcohol on the suspect. Both the victim and the suspect were transported to the Juan F. Luis Hospital by ambulance for their injuries, according to the fact sheet.
The defendant’s representation, Public Defender Attorney Kathryn Slade, requested an unsecured bond of $5,000 be set for bail as the alleged suspect had no prior convictions for domestic violence, amongst other reasons.
However, V.I. Assistant Attorney General Mackiesh Taylor-Jones argued, “The victim did suffer a serious injury, a subdural hematoma to the head,” so she requested that he pay 10 percent plus 1 of the $5,000 bail amount proposed by the defense.
Judge Camacho’s final ruling was that Ayala have a third-party custodian, pay 10 percent plus 1 or $501 in cash and have an address prior to release.
Judge Camacho also found probable cause for the following:
- Brandon Teliam was charged with Assault in the Second Degree/ DV, in violation of Title 14. V.I.C. Subsection 296(3) and Title 16. V.I.C. Subsection 91(b)(1) & (2); Simple Assault and Battery/ DV, in violation of Title 14. V.I.C. 299(1) and Title 16. V.I.C. Subsection 91(b)(1) & (2); and Disturbing the Peace by Fighting/ DV, in violation of Title 14. V.I.C. Subsection 622(1) and Title 16. V.I.C. Subsection 91(b)(11). Bail was set at $1,000 (fully secured). His third-party custodian was approved provided that they live at another address together. Teliam will be placed under 24-hour house arrest without an electronic monitor. Some conditions of release may be reconsidered once he meets the aforementioned conditions in an effort to allow Teliam to work.
