Mugshot of Andrew Eusebe. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A man who reportedly choked his sister in front of bystanders after threatening to shoot her now faces domestic violence assault charges.
According to court documents, on the morning of August 10, around 9:30 a.m., a woman visited the VIPD's Domestic Violence unit in reference to an assault she said had been committed on her by her brother, Andrew Eusebe.
She told officers that she was looking after her niece on Saturday, July 29, when she fell asleep. When she woke up, she realized that the minor child was missing from the house, and immediately called the girl’s mother to inform her of the situation. While aunt and mother were on the phone, the little girl reportedly began texting her mother saying she was afraid because she was in the car with her father, Eusebe. He was reportedly driving erratically, and had just gotten into an argument with someone at the McDonald’s in Tutu Park mall.
That information terrified Eusebe’s sister, who said that her sibling does not have a driver’s license, and is a known alcoholic. Worried for her niece’s safety, she called 911. Police arrived at her residence, followed by the girl’s mother. Eusebe and his daughter arrived shortly after officers left the scene, and the man approached his child’s mother demanding to know who had called the police, and why.
The girl’s mother did not respond, and due to his subsequent behavior, decided to leave with the child. Eusebe reportedly then decided to approach his sister, who was by then playing dominoes with some friends. The woman told police that he invaded her personal space, asking her what she had told the girl’s mother, and reportedly threatening to “finish putting bullets” in his sister, who has survived being shot in the past.
While the aunt was trying to explain to him what had happened, Eusebe reportedly grabbed her by the throat and squeezed, cutting off her air supply, according to court documents. She subsequently told police that bystanders had to exert significant effort in pulling her brother’s hands from her throat. The woman told police that as soon as she caught her breath, she ran downstairs to call her younger brother for help.
She told police that this was the first time her frequent verbal disputes with her brother have become physical, and further noted that Eusebe is known to become aggressive when intoxicated.
Although she did not seek medical attention at the time of the attack, the woman gave police photographs of her injuries – visible abrasions on both sides of her neck. She also provided officers with a video of Eusebe shortly before the alleged attack, in which he is reportedly threatening that everyone present would die. She told officers that she had sought, and obtained, a temporary restraining order against her brother. A bystander corroborated the woman’s narrative to the police.
On August 14, Andrew Eusebe presented himself at the VIPD's Domestic Violence Unit, and admitted to his sister’s recounting of events, saying that he just wanted his younger sister to listen to him. He told police that he had been punched in the nose by someone during the melee, which had caused him minor injuries.
He was then arrested and charged with second-degree assault as an act of domestic violence, as well as disturbance of the peace. Eusebe did appear in court on Wednesday for his advice of rights hearing before Magistrate Paula Norkaitis, who granted pre-trial release upon a cash payment of $500. As of press time, other bail, bond, and release conditions had not been made available on the court’s public access website.
The next court appearance for Andrew Eusebe is scheduled for September 1.
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