Mugshot of Brandon Teliam By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — A man is facing felony domestic violence charges after allegedly choking and kneeing his pregnant girlfriend in a drunken rage.
According to court documents, the woman called 911 at about 3:40 a.m. on May 18, to report that Brandon Teliam, the father of her unborn child, had physically assaulted her in her Frederiksted apartment.
Responding officers met with the woman who said that Teliam had arrived at her apartment intoxicated, and climbed into her bed to sleep. Some time later, she was awoken by Teliam who asked where his marijuana was. After she told him that she did not know, he reportedly began to argue with her, before putting his hands around her neck and squeezing until she could not breathe, which could also affect oxygen flowing to the growing child in the victim's stomach.
When he let go of her neck, Teliam reportedly kneed her in the stomach while she was still lying on the bed. The woman said that Teliam knows that she is approximately four months pregnant with his child. When she vowed to call the police, Teliam reportedly left the apartment, but stayed nearby and began kicking the front door after she locked it, and banging on the windows still demanding his marijuana.
While officers did not observe any visible injuries on the woman, she complained of pain in her stomach and soreness to her neck. However, she declined to be taken to the hospital for further medical treatment.
Officers made contact with Teliam, who was still on the scene when they arrived. With police noting the strong odor of alcohol on his person, he denied assaulting the woman and said that he was just waiting for her to give him back his marijuana.
He was arrested and taken to the Wilbur H. Francis Command police station, where he declined to provide a statement. Teliam was charged with second-degree assault and simple assault and battery, both as crimes of domestic violence. He was also charged with disturbing the peace, and was remanded into custody to await his advice of rights hearing.
In court on Monday, Magistrate Yolan Brow Ross found probable cause to uphold all the charges against Teliam, and set bail at $5000. Because defense attorneys were unable to provide the court with suitable conditions for release, the bail hearing was postponed to a later date.
Taliam is scheduled to attend his arraignment hearing on June 5.
