Mugshot of Lorquide Previus. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A man named Lorquide Previus is facing multiple felony charges after an incident involving an assault on his girlfriend at her workplace.
According to court documents, the incident came to light on Friday when a man called the police, reporting a collision en route to the police station. He alleged that Previus, who was in another vehicle, had deliberately rammed into them to prevent them from reaching the station. The caller stated that his female passenger, Previus's girlfriend, had been assaulted by Previus and that he still had her phone and purse.
Previus followed them to the police station, where he claimed that during an argument outside his bar in Smith Bay, his girlfriend had thrown water on him. He also contended that the collision was caused by the other driver, reportedly his girlfriend's ex.
Police observed injuries on the woman, including a contusion on her forehead, a scratched lip, and additional scratches on her neck and foot. When unable to retrieve her belongings from the bar, the woman texted her phone using an officer’s phone, to which Previus responded, allegedly impersonating her.
Through a translator, the woman told police that Previus had attacked her outside his bar, choking her until a customer intervened. She admitted to throwing water at Previus, and detailed how he caught and threw her to the ground, punched her, and dragged her away from a vehicle she was trying to escape in. She eventually got into another vehicle, which Previus then hit.
Court documents further state that Previus was inconsistent in his account to the police but maintained that the woman hit him first. He was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, simple assault and battery, destruction of property, grand larceny, and disturbance of the peace — all under domestic violence. At the home she shared with Previus, the woman found it ransacked and her belongings missing. Previus later admitted to discarding her items behind his business.
In court, Magistrate Paula Norkaitis upheld all charges against Previus, setting bail at $5,000. He is confined to the St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island area, must report to the probation office bi-weekly, and is prohibited from contacting his girlfriend. He was also ordered to return her belongings if he knows their whereabouts. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 16.
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