Two local men, Tom Eble and Eugene Kohler, were arrested on Thursday, April 6, for allegedly betting and shooting a speargun at a man in the parking lot between Skinny Legs and the Coral Bay fire station.
The assault left the man, a St. Thomas native who has been living in an illegal encampment in the bush in Coral Bay, with stitches in his head and wrist.
The altercation apparently stemmed from an on-going argument between Eble and Kohler and the St. Thomas man over ownership of tools.
The St. Thomas man filed a V.I. Police Department report of grand larceny at 1:42 p.m. on April 6, alleging Eble and Kohler took the tools from his Coral Bay campsite.
Spear Gun Fired – Twice
The argument got out of control around 5 p.m. that afternoon, when Kohler allegedly fired two speargun shots at the victim. Both shots missed, and Eble and Kohler then began hitting the man with a pipe and the speargun, according to several witnesses.
The owner of a business in the Skinny Legs complex witnessed the assault and called the V.I.P.D. Coral Bay substation. Officers reportedly responded to the scene within minutes and apprehended the attackers.
The victim sustained injuries to his head and wrist. He was transported to the Myrah Keating Community Health Center, where he was treated with stitches and released.
Eble and Kohler were arrested and charged with assault.
