ST. THOMAS — Charges have been laid against a man on probation who is accused of attacking a woman who was saved by good samaritans.

Rashawn Brooks was arrested just after midnight on Tuesday after police were dispatched to the Polyberg Hill area in reference to a report of a man assaulting a woman. At the scene, police discovered Brookes, an individual said to be well known by the responding VIPD officer. He was detained and placed in the rear of a police vehicle pending further investigation. 

Contact was then made with two concerned citizens who had called for police assistance while witnessing the assault. One of the witnesses told police that the victim was possibly hiding in the bushes and that she was badly injured. Police subsequently spoke to the victim who stated that she was at a nearby house sleeping when she was approached by Brooks who began to ask her for sex. She stated that she told Brooks no and proceeded to walk away from him but he allegedly attacked her, striking her in the head several times with his fist. 

According to the woman, she then started to ask for help from drivers in the area and one individual stopped and told Brooks to stop assaulting her. She further told police that Brooks forcibly took her handbag during the assault and used it to strike her over the head. The handbag was later retrieved by a good samaritan and returned to the victim. 

An eyewitness told police that they were traveling in a vehicle when they observed Brooks standing on the victim’s head with one foot while she asked for help. The witness and another individual immediately exited their vehicle and asked Brooks to stop assaulting the woman but he continued hitting her with the bag. Brooks then started to walk up a hill when another witness intervened, and according to witnesses, he stated, “I going kill her” while walking away. According to the probable cause fact sheet, this account was corroborated by another eyewitness who also spoke to the police.  

The victim was later taken to receive medical attention and Brooks was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and second-degree robbery. According to police, while being processed, Brooks stated, “all you hurting me and you know I just beat up a woman… This the hand I was boxing her with.”

The accused appeared before a judge on Wednesday who set bail at $25,000 with no 10 percent provision. She explained that this was based on several factors including the nature of the allegations, the circumstances of the violence used and the weight of the evidence against Brooks. The judge further noted that Brooks has prior exposure to the law which shows that he is both a flight risk and a danger to the community. According to the judge, the defendant previously had an outstanding warrant from Broward County and also pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless endangerment on May 13th, 2022. He is currently on probation following that plea.

Brooks must have a court-approved third-party custodian as a condition of his release if he is able to make bail. He has also been ordered to remain at least 50 feet away from the victim at all times and must have absolutely no contact whatsoever with the witnesses who the judge described as Good Samaritans whom the court must thank for their assistance.

Get the latest news straight to your phone with the VI Consortium app.