Mugshot of Eusebio Christian Jr. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
A dispute that escalated into a violent confrontation has led to serious charges against Eusebio Christian Jr., who allegedly attacked another man with a knife on October 2 in St. Thomas, according to the V.I. Police Department.
The incident, which began with a confrontation over accusations of infidelity and ended with the victim hospitalized with multiple injuries, has uncovered a months-long saga of alleged harassment and threats. Now, with Christian in custody following his recent arrest, the case has exposed the tense and complex backstory behind the assault, as well as the subsequent legal proceedings that continue to unfold.
According to court documents, on the night of October 2, around 9 p.m., officers from the V.I. Police Department responded to Schneider Regional Hospital following a report of an assault. They arrived to find a man receiving treatment for multiple lacerations and abrasions. The victim informed police that he had been attacked by a man wielding a knife, sustaining several cuts during the altercation.
In a recorded statement provided to police later that month, the victim recounted details of the incident, which he said began at the Wheatley Center near the former Pizza Hut. The man was parked and sitting in his vehicle when a grey Ford F-150, driven by Eusebio Christian Jr., pulled up alongside him. Christian allegedly exited his vehicle and began pounding on the driver’s side window, accusing the victim of breaking up his family.
The victim, who said he was unsure of what Christian was referring to, initially ignored him and remained inside his vehicle. However, when Christian reportedly began attempting to slash the vehicle’s tires with a knife, the victim stepped out of his car to confront him. At this point, Christian allegedly turned the knife on the victim, attacking him and causing injuries to his left wrist, right arm, right hand, and other areas on his head and back.
The altercation reportedly ended when a bystander intervened, helping to disarm Christian. Following the attack, the victim informed police that Christian’s accusations were not new. According to him, Christian had first confronted him back in January, accusing him of having an intimate relationship with Christian’s girlfriend. Since then, he said, Christian’s harassment had continued intermittently, culminating in the violent incident on October 2. The victim added that Christian might have assumed he was assisting the woman in moving out of their shared residence that day, as he had a mattress and box spring in his truck at the time of the attack. However, he asserted that Christian’s assumption was unfounded.
Court documents further state that on October 30, police interviewed the woman at the center of the dispute. She told investigators that she had ended her eight-year relationship with Christian after repeatedly being accused of infidelity with male acquaintances, including the injured man. She recounted an incident on October 1, when Christian allegedly hid in bushes near her workplace and confronted her, accusing her of talking to her supposed “boyfriend” — the same man he would later allegedly attack. That evening, she said, Christian confronted her at their home while holding a machete, prompting her to flee for her safety. The following day, October 2, she returned to collect her belongings. The woman told police that she was not romantically involved with the victim of the assault.
After the attack, Christian reportedly traveled to St. Croix. On November 4, police contacted him, and he subsequently turned himself in at a police station on that island later that day. According to police reports, Christian did not deny the accusations made by the victim and was subsequently arrested and charged with third-degree assault, simple assault, use of a dangerous weapon by a convicted felon, and disturbance of the peace. Unable to post the $25,000 bail initially set, Christian was remanded to custody while awaiting his advice of rights hearing.
During a court appearance on Wednesday, Magistrate Paula Norkaitis found probable cause to uphold all charges against Christian but granted him the option to post 10% of the required bail amount for his release before trial. As part of his bail conditions, Christian must report to the probation office on St. Croix in person every Tuesday and is required to maintain a distance of at least 50 feet from the alleged victim at all times.
Christian’s next court appearance is scheduled for November 22, where the case is expected to proceed as he faces trial on multiple charges stemming from the October 2 incident
