Mugshot of Guerda Louis. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A woman accused of violently assaulting her housemate, resulting in a broken nose, now finds herself facing domestic violence charges and seeking alternative living arrangements as she prepares to defend herself in court.
On Wednesday morning, authorities responded to a residence in Anna's Retreat following a distress call from the tenant of the apartment. The tenant revealed that Guerda Louis and her husband had been living with her since 2014. However, Mrs. Louis's behavior had become increasingly uncomfortable and concerning, prompting the tenant to take action.
Based on court documents, the tenant said that just before the incident, she was leaving for work when she encountered Mrs. Louis in the kitchen. The tenant greeted her, but Mrs. Louis responded by criticizing the tenant's changed demeanor. When questioned about constantly reporting everything happening inside the apartment to the tenant's ex-boyfriend, Mrs. Louis allegedly claimed it was retaliatory after the tenant had previously called 911 on her.
The tenant explained that the 911 call was made due to Mrs. Louis's mistreatment of her. Furthermore, the tenant accused Mrs. Louis of sending money to Haiti to interfere with her life, an accusation Mrs. Louis vehemently denied. The tenant expressed doubt about Mrs. Louis's innocence, fueling the verbal altercation.
According to court documents, as tensions escalated, Mrs. Louis stepped on the tenant's feet and refused to move despite repeated requests. In response, the tenant pushed Mrs. Louis away, prompting Mrs. Louis to grab a small knife and wave it in the tenant's face. Although she eventually put the knife down, Mrs. Louis continued making aggressive hand gestures towards the tenant. Frustrated, the tenant swatted Mrs. Louis's hand away and attempted to leave the house. In a shocking turn of events, Mrs. Louis allegedly picked up a blender from the kitchen counter and struck the tenant in the face with it. The victim, bloodied and shocked, confronted Mrs. Louis, who reportedly attempted to hit her again with the blender. A struggle ensued as the two women wrestled for control of the blender, eventually spilling out onto the neighbor's doorstep. The homeowner called for help, prompting a neighbor to intervene and ultimately take the blender from Mrs. Louis.
Amid the chaos, the tenant used a neighbor's phone to contact 911 as her own phone had been thrown off the porch during the scuffle. She was subsequently transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center, where medical professionals treated her for a broken nose, facial contusions, and abrasions. Her injuries were severe enough to warrant a referral for reconstruction surgery.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Louis was arrested and charged with third-degree assault as an act of domestic violence. She was remanded into custody until her initial court appearance on Friday, June 16.
Following the advice of rights hearing on Friday, Guerda Louis was granted bail in the amount of $1000, requiring full payment. She is obligated to contact the probation office weekly via telephone and is restricted to the St. Thomas/St. John/Water Island district unless authorized by the court for travel. Mrs. Louis is prohibited from entering the victim's residence, except for one supervised opportunity to collect her belongings with police or a court marshal present. Additionally, she must maintain a minimum distance of 50 feet from the victim and have no contact with her whatsoever.
Mrs. Louis's next court hearing is scheduled for June 30, where she will face the charges brought against her in relation to the alleged assault.
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