Mugshot of Brian Griffin Mendoza. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A man is facing a slew of domestic violence charges, including rape, burglary and false imprisonment, following an alleged heinous attack on his ex girlfriend.
According to court documents, on Thursday January 11, police responded to a Dronningens Gade address following a report of an assault. They met a woman who told them that she had recently decided to end her relationship with Brian Griffin Mendoza, but he kept trying to communicate with her.
Just before 2:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, she told officers that Mendoza called her saying that he was outside and wanted her to open the door so they could talk. She did as he asked, telling police that she did not want him to create a disturbance outside.
According to the woman, once inside, Mendoza ignored her attempts to explain that the relationship was over, instead holding her and trying to kiss her on the lips. After she verbally refused his advances, she said he pushed her into the bedroom and down onto the bed.
The woman recounted being raped by her ex-boyfriend as she tried to kick him off of her. She told police that she managed to pick up a pair of scissors that was on her nightstand but was too afraid to use it as a defensive weapon. While being assaulted, she says she cut Mendoza's hair with the scissors, but he did not stop his attack until the sex act was completed.
After he left, Mendoza allegedly left the house, but returned around 9:00 a.m., calling the woman to tell her to open the door again. She told him to leave, but informed officers that he began breaking the windows, removing some of the louvers in the living room and clambering inside. Noticing that she was attempting to call for help, Mendoza reportedly took the phone away and ended the call. He then allegedly forced her back into the bedroom, pinning her down again and hacking her hair off with the scissors.
At one point, the woman bit him, she told officers, which granted her the opportunity to get up and run. However Mendoza reportedly grabbed by the short hair remaining at the back of her head and threw her into a chair, biting her on the nose when she attempted to struggle. Apparently startled at the sight of his ex-girlfriend's bloody nose, he then fled the house again, while the woman called her friend to wait with her for the arrival of the police.
Investigators noted that three of tires on the woman's vehicle were flat. She told them that they had been fine when she parked earlier. Officers also took note of the broken louvers, glass on the stairway, and large shards of glass in the living room. They also observed the woman's injuries – bruises on her arms and forehead, and a bandage on her nose from which blood was seeping. Large chunks of her hair had been cut off, and police took note of the hair strewn on the bed, bedroom floor and living room floor.
When police showed up at Mendoza's workplace, his employer told them that he had asked permission to leave shortly after the establishment opened that morning, and took a long time to return. Minutes before the police arrived, Mendoza reportedly told his employer that police might be looking for him due to a "situation" with his girlfriend.
Mendoza reportedly told officers that he knew why they were there, but declined to give a statement. He was then arrested and taken to the Schneider Regional Medical Center where a sexual assault kit was administered.
He was charged with first-degree rape, unlawful sexual contact, false imprisonment, first-degree burglary, third-degree assault, and simple assault, all as crimes of domestic violence. Mendoza was additionally charged with home invasion, maliciously interfering with emergency communications, and disturbance of the peace.
While court records indicate that he did appear before Magistrate Simone VanHolten-Turnbull on Friday, the details of the pretrial release order that was issued for Mendoza were not available at time of publication.
His next court appearance is scheduled for January 26.
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