Mugshot of Joseph Fenton. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A man accused of starting a fight in the Lindberg Bay area now faces charges of assault and disturbance of the peace.
The case dates back to September 2022. On the first day of that month, around 10:50 a.m., police were called to Crown Mountain Water in response to reports of a fight in progress. When they got there, they spoke to an employee who told them that he had been performing his daily assignment. While loading five-gallon water bottles into a van, the employee said that Joseph Fenton, his co-worker, stepped in front of his path, blocking him from moving the bottles.
The employee told police that he tried to walk around Fenton, but said his co-worker pushed him and began to argue.
The employee tried to continue his work, saying he picked up two more bottles of water, when Fenton allegedly walked up to him and slapped him twice on both sides of his face, triggering a fist fight. The men were separated by other co-workers who were present, upon which the employee said he went outside to call the boss. Complaining of pain in his face, the employee was taken to seek medical attention at the Schneider Regional Medical Hospital, where a hairline fracture to his jaw was discovered.
Police retrieved surveillance footage, which supported the injured employee’s account of events, and subsequently arrested Fenton this past Wednesday. He was charged with third-degree assault and disturbance of the peace.
He appeared in court on Friday, where the presiding judge maintained the $25,000 bail but allowed Fenton to post just 5 percent in cash to secure his release. He is ordered to have no unlawful contact with the alleged victim and witnesses, who remain his coworkers, and must report to the probation office every week by telephone. Fenton is is restricted to the St. Thomas/St. John district, and is prohibited from consuming alcohol, controlled substances, and possessing firearms, ammunition, or dangerous weapons.
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