An apparent quarrel over property rights led to the arrest of a St. Thomas man accused of assault and reckless endangerment. The alleged victim in the Jan. 3 incident said he was cutting the grass along a pathway leading to a beach in the Havensight area when the incident occurred.
Accused assailant Charles Comerford appeared in Superior Court Magistrates Division at a hearing Friday morning. He was released at the hearing’s end and posted $25,000 cash bail.
Police investigators accuse Comerford of injuring a man during an argument by twice running over his foot with a car. At the time of the alleged assault on Thursday, the victim said he was clearing overgrowth from a walkway used by local beachgoers.
It was at that time, he said, the defendant sped towards him in a vehicle. “Mr. Comerford told him that he needs to stop cutting the grass and that it was his property. (The victim) stated it was not his property, that everyone residing in the area can use that pathway,” court records said.
After a few more verbal exchanges, the victim said his antagonist drove off and, in the process, ran over his foot. When he accused the driver of assaulting him, police said the victim reversed the car to face his accuser.
In the process, the victim’s foot was run over again. Emergency responders arriving on the scene documented the injuries, and Comeford was questioned at the V.I. Police Department’s Investigations Bureau.
Charges of third-degree assault, reckless endangerment, disturbance of the peace, and aggravated assault and battery were upheld at the Friday hearing by Superior Court Magistrate Paula Norkadis. He is now free on pretrial release after paying bail.
