Mugshot of Delli Eduardo. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. CROIX — A man is facing a series of criminal and domestic violence charges after police say he forced the mother of his children into a vehicle, assaulted her while their children were inside, and later continued the attack at a residence, all while confronting her about dancing with another man the night before.
According to court documents, the woman went to police on Sunday to report the incident. She told officers that Delli Eduardo, the father of one of her children, had contacted her and asked to meet near Church's Chicken in Sunny Isles so they could discuss their current circumstances.
She told police that the request struck her as unusual, and that she questioned why Eduardo was being so agreeable. Even so, she agreed to meet him in the restaurant parking lot.
According to the woman, after she arrived she stepped out of the vehicle to attend to one of the children seated in the back. She said Eduardo used that moment to take her car key from the ignition and her cellphone from where it was mounted inside the vehicle.
She tried to recover her property, but because the key had already been damaged, she was only able to retrieve the plastic shell while the metal portion remained in Eduardo’s hand.
The woman told police that Eduardo then got into the driver’s side of her vehicle and ordered her back inside. Based on what she described as his violent tendencies, and because of the number of people around, she said she complied in order to avoid public embarrassment. The two then drove away, leaving Eduardo’s own vehicle behind in the restaurant parking lot.
She said the violence began almost immediately. According to her account, Eduardo started banging her head against the car door while questioning her about a man she had danced with the previous evening.
The woman also said he drove recklessly during the incident, abruptly swerving, overtaking other vehicles, and decelerating violently, causing both her and the children to jerk forward in their seats. The two young children began screaming, apparently out of fear.
Police said the woman also reported that Eduardo called her best friend and told her they were on their way over to “get to the bottom” of who she had been dancing with.
When they arrived near the friend’s home, the woman said Eduardo dragged her out of the vehicle and into the house, leaving the children in the car. Once inside, she said the assault continued.
According to the woman, Eduardo began strangling her while continuing to question her about the man from the bar on Saturday night. She said he eventually released her, after which she contacted a relative for assistance and then went to the police station to report the matter.
Officers who met with the woman observed what they described as several fresh bruises on her body, including a thumb indentation on her neck.
She also showed officers the screen of her cellphone, which she said had been cracked when Eduardo slammed it to the floor each time she tried to call 911 for help.
After taking her report, police issued an all-points bulletin for Eduardo.
He was apprehended Tuesday at his workplace and taken to the Wilbur H. Francis Command police station. Police said he declined to provide a statement.
Eduardo was then arrested and charged with false imprisonment and kidnapping, child abuse, first-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree assault, and disturbing the peace by fighting.
Police said he also faces several domestic violence-related charges, including second degree assault, simple assault and battery, and destruction of property.
His first court appearance was scheduled for Wednesday morning before Magistrate Venetia Velazquez. As of press time, the outcome of that hearing had not been made public.
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