Akiyaa Francis Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A woman is now facing felony charges after stabbing her brother with a pair of scissors during a fight.
According to court documents, around midday on Tuesday, police were dispatched to a residence in Anna’s Retreat after a fight was reported between a pair of siblings. Responding officers made contact with the brother, who told them that Akiyaa Francis, his sister, had overheard him speaking about her with their aunt.
The man told police that his sister shouted at him to get off the phone, upon which he informed her that she couldn’t tell him to get off his own phone. That response reportedly prompted Francis to push the kitchen table towards her brother, after which he says she grabbed him by the hair and punched him in the face repeatedly. He says he hit back until she released him and walked away, only to return with a large pair of scissors and stab him in the lower abdomen.
The man recounted to police how he grabbed his sister to prevent her from stabbing him again, receiving cuts to his right shoulder and foot in the struggle over the improvised weapon. He told officers that their mother had previously removed all knives from the residence due to his sister’s aggressive behavior.
Francis reportedly confirmed her brother’s account of the incident to police, and their mother told officers that her daughter has a complex combination of mental health challenges, but that she was being medicated accordingly.
Emergency medical personnel treated the brother for his injuries, while Francis was transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center for treatment of superficial injuries to her right foot and a finger on her right hand. She was then taken to the Richard Callwood Command police station and charged with third-degree assault as a crime of domestic violence, disturbance of the peace, and possession of a dangerous weapon during the commission of a crime.
In court on Wednesday for her advice of rights hearing, Francis learned that probably cause had been found to uphold all the charges against her. Magistrate Paula Norkaitis set bail at $15,000, but allowed Francis the opportunity to post a cash component of 10% to secure her release. Other conditions of bail include being restricted to the St. Thomas/St. John district, and the requirement of a weekly telephone check-in with the probation office, as well as a daily 9 pm to 6 am curfew. She is barred from any kind of contact with her brother, and from unlawful contact with her mother and aunt.
The next court appearance for Akiyaa Francis is scheduled for 15 September.
Advertisements
