Crime

Man Allegedly Drove Ex-Girlfriend to Salt River Against Her Will Where He Beat and Strangled Her

ST. CROIX — Bail has been set for a man accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and driving her to a location against her will. Chesney Southwell Jr., age 22, was recently arrested on charges of simple assault and battery, false imprisonment and kidnapping, grand larceny and second-degree assault as an act of domestic violence.  His arrest follows a report from his ex-girlfriend, who stated that on August 28th she and her friend were at a bar when Southwell picked her up for a drive so they could discuss their relationship. She stated that during the conversation, he grabbed her phone and began to go through her messages. He then became upset and began speeding. According to the woman, while she made several attempts to retrieve her phone, he kept it away from her by holding it outside the driver’s side window.  She recounted that she also made several attempts to exit the vehicle while it was still in motion, but Southwell kept pulling her closer to him, preventing her from leaving...