The VIPD has not provided a mugshot of Sean Patrick Dempsey. Above, the Cyril E. King Airport.
ST. THOMAS — Sean Patrick Dempsey is awaiting extradition to Minnesota after being detained at Cyril E. King Airport during an attempt to board a flight with his minor daughter.
The arrest occurred on Thursday morning amidst routine inspections by Customs and Border Patrol officers at the airport. Dempsey was preparing for a United Airlines flight from St. Thomas to Minneapolis when a warrant for his arrest was uncovered by officials.
The active arrest warrant, issued on March 29, accuses Dempsey of depriving another individual of custodial/parental rights, stemming from a contentious custody battle in Minnesota. Dempsey and the mother of his 9-year-old daughter have been embroiled in a dispute seeking alterations to their court-ordered custody arrangements.
Upon discovery of the warrant, officers conducted a confirmation with the Washington County, Minnesota Sheriff's Office, verifying its active status. Dempsey was subsequently arrested, charged as a fugitive from justice, and placed in the Bureau of Corrections' custody.
Magistrate Simone VanHolten-Turnbull presided over Dempsey's court appearance on Friday, where bail was set at $9,000, the amount specified in the Minnesota warrant. Dempsey expressed his intention to waive his rights to an extradition hearing, leading the magistrate to inform counsel that Minnesota authorities have been granted a 30-day period to finalize the extradition process.
The case is set for a status conference within the next 35 days, as both local and Minnesota authorities work to resolve the extradition and address the underlying custodial dispute.
