Mugshot of Calijah Brewley. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A man on 24-hour house arrest has been charged after he allegedly brutally assaulted his girlfriend and threatened to kill her.
Court documents show that Calijah Brewley currently has several felony charges pending against him, including murder and attempted murder. Those charges are reportedly in connection with a fatal May 2020 shooting.
He was recently arrested after a woman who was intimately involved with him reported a violent attack which allegedly took place on June 3rd. According to the woman’s account, she woke up and found Brewley hitting her cat with a broom. He stated that the cat had scratched him and he continued taunting and chasing the animal, trying to strike it while threatening to kill it.
The woman said she tried to intervene but Brewley pushed her in the head very hard, causing her to fall and hit her head against the wall. She had already called a relative to come to get the cat so she sat in front of the pet to protect it. Her relative arrived with a police escort and upon seeing the police, Brewley went outside and began creating a disturbance, yelling and telling the officer that they were on his property. Before returning to the residence, he turned toward the woman’s relative and said, “you’re going to get what it is you’re looking for.”
The woman further told police that she was emotional and crying because Brewley told her that he would kill several members of her family and spell her name with their blood. He continued to argue with her and when she went into the bathroom to shower, he followed her and headbutted her. He then allegedly punched her in the back of the head and picked her up by the neck, strangling her. The woman told police that she tried to escape but Brewley kept her pinned to the bed.
She was eventually able to get away and called a relative screaming. She recounted that Brewley began to laugh at her, calling her weak and stating, “imagine if I was exercising, I would have sent you through the wall.” While she tried to call another relative for help, he fought her for the phone and bit her. She then tried again to shower but he followed her and pushed her in the face multiple times. According to the probable cause fact sheet, after showering she dressed as fast as she could but remained seated because Brewley told her that he would kill her if she tried to leave.
He later heard her trying to leave and ran towards her, locking the door and asking, “where are you going? The party is just getting started.” She told the police that she felt helpless and accepted that she was going to die. However, she was able to make a quick, calculated escape. She was unable to retrieve her cellphone and Brelwey later used it to call her family and coworkers to find out where she was. He then came to her job on June 5th but she refused to speak to him.
Brewley was eventually arrested on August 13th and charged with second-degree assault, false imprisonment, simple assault, disturbance of the peace by threats and animal cruelty.
At his advisement hearing on Monday, the judge set bail at $50,000 with no 10 percent provision. This means the defendant will have to post the full sum in order to be released. The judge explained that bail was set based on the nature of the allegations as well as the fact that Brewley was under supervision on another criminal matter when the alleged crimes occurred. Judge Norkaitis stressed that this demonstrates that he does not abide by orders of the court. Brewley is also viewed as a flight risk based on the seriousness of the charges he faces. While this matter is pending, he is to have absolutely no contact with the victim and has been ordered to remain at least 50 feet away from her at all times.
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