Mugshot of Janine Cryspin. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A domestic violence investigation is underway after a man reported that his partner struck him in the face with a glass bottle during an argument, resulting in injuries that required stitches and staples. The incident, reported on November 27, has led to felony assault charges against Janine Cryspin.
Police were alerted on the evening of the assault and went to the Schneider Regional Medical Center, where they found the injured man with blood on his face, neck, shirt, and pants. He told officers that Ms. Cryspin had called him earlier that evening asking for a ride from Frenchtown to Hospital Ground. He agreed, but said that when she got into the car she ignored him and remained on her phone. She was delivering food to friends, he said, but had not prepared anything for him, which upset him and prompted the pair to begin arguing.
According to the man, the dispute continued until they reached Hospital Ground. He said Ms. Cryspin suddenly picked up a glass beer bottle and struck him in the face. She then jumped out of the vehicle and tried to flee. The man said he attempted to chase her but first had to return to secure the car, which had begun rolling forward. He eventually caught up with her, and while speaking to her, he noticed blood running heavily down his face. He told police that as she continued trying to get away, he wiped some of the blood onto her dress so she could be identified more easily as the suspect.
The man said bystanders began gathering and confronting Ms. Cryspin, but she managed to escape and ran off in an unknown direction. Due to the amount of blood, he went to the hospital for treatment, where medical staff closed a large laceration between his eyebrows with stitches and staples.
Ms. Cryspin did not turn herself in until December 4, when she went to the Domestic Violence Unit to give a statement. She told officers she struck her partner out of fear after he pushed her while they were still inside the car.
She was arrested and charged with third-degree assault and simple assault, both as domestic violence offenses, and also charged with disturbance of the peace. She was remanded into custody pending her advice-of-rights hearing.
Court records show she appeared before Magistrate Paula Norkaitis on Friday morning. The outcome of that hearing was not immediately available.
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