A St. Croix woman allegedly ran over her ex-boyfriend, the father of her child, and then attempted to evade arrest by speeding away from police, according to court records posted Friday.
Police investigating a 30-minute traffic backup in Christiansted May 16 found Saidah Harley’s white Acura, with the word Crawsis written on the windshield, blocking the road. She was quarreling with her ex-boyfriend about him retrieving his belongings from her apartment, according to court records.
Police agreed to help remove the items from her Golden Twin Apartments unit, according to court records. Officers gathered the items and brought them to the man who was washing a car in Christiansted. Once there, Harley allegedly launched into a verbal disturbance so profound that officers advised her to “refrain from making any unlawful contact with” the man.
Moments later, numerous callers to 911 reported Harley had hit the man with her car.
Police interviewed the bloodied man at Juan F. Luis Hospital. He said during an argument with Harley a few days earlier, he stuffed important documents in his backpack and left. He told police Harley was violent and abusive. He did not want to return to the apartment for the rest of his belongings, even though the property Harley had police bring to Christiansted was not everything he had left there, he said.
The victim said after police had brought the items from the apartment and left, Harley returned and started videotaping him, claiming he was stealing government water to wash a car.
Sensing trouble, the man said he put his backpack in a friend’s car and walked away toward the Bentix Supermarket. Soon after, Harley drove by, waving the backpack from her car window. She had children in the car, including a six-year-old boy in the front seat, he said.
While the man was crossing the street, Harley allegedly gunned the Acura and struck him. The impact was so severe that the man was flung up onto the windshield, a witness told police. A friend rushed over with a T-shirt to help stop the blood gushing from his face, according to court records.
“ … while he was sitting on the ground, Ms. Harley drove around a second time and watched him on the ground. He stated that it appeared that she drove by to make sure that he was dead,” police wrote in their report of the incident.
Police interviewed the two boys who had been in the car. A 10-year-old said the man had jumped on top of the vehicle and tried to “Hulk smash” the glass, resulting in flesh and blood on the broken windshield. The six-year-old said much the same.
The man whose car the victim had placed his backpack in said Harley had taken it from his vehicle without permission. While he was telling the victim this, Harley sped up and struck the man. Another eyewitness told police the same, according to court records.
“Based on the statements into this investigation, Ms. Harley was considered the primary aggressor to be placed under arrest,” police wrote.
But it was not that easy.
On Tuesday, police spotted the Crawsis Acura at the Budget Service Station and attempted to arrest Harley for attempted murder. She first offered to follow police to the station. When they insisted she needed to get into the police vehicle, she said she could not because she needed to pick up her daughter from daycare. When police insisted and an officer reached out for her arm, Harley allegedly wriggled away and locked herself in the Crawsis car.
Harley led police on a brief chase from the Budget Gas Station to where Queen Mary Highway intersects Orange Grove Road. There, according to court records, an officer relented and agreed to allow the woman to pick up her daughter before being escorted to the police station.
At the daycare, however, Harley pulled into the parking area but did not stop, instead whipping a U-turn and speeding out of the area. Police gave chase and were finally able to stop the Acura and put Harley in handcuffs at the Catherine’s Rest Bus Stop, according to court records.
“Ms. Harley later admitted to leaving the Budget Service Station after being properly advised of her detention. She was subsequently placed under arrest for interfering with an officer, firefighter, or first responder discharging his duty. Ms. Harley refused the booking process and requested to be taken to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for treatment. She was later admitted to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for medical attention. Bail was set at $500,” according to court records.
