St. John, USVI - On Friday, May 5, 2023, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Mr. Oswin Richards, age 58, was arrested for Assault in the Third Degree after he was identified by the victim as the male who struck him with a stick.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at approximately 10:15 p.m., a male was present at the Leander Jurgen Command located on St. John to report that he was assaulted by Mr. Richards. The male stated that he was in the area of Cruz Bay when Mr. Richards approached him and threw down his beer. The male stated that Mr. Richards then began to thrust a wooden stick at him and later struck him in the head causing injuries.

Oswin Richards

Richards was also charged with Aggravated Assault, Disturbance of the Peace, Hate Motivated Crime and Simple Assault. His bail was set at $25,000.00. Unable to post bail, he was turned over to the Bureau of Corrections pending his advise of rights hearing.

This case is presently under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Anyone with any information regarding this crime is urged to contact 911, Criminal Investigation Bureau Detective J. Carty (340)693-8880 ext. 5207 or Detective S. Rhymer at (340)774-2211 ext. 5572 or Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1(800)222-TIPS.

# # #

All individuals listed as arrested or charged with a crime in this press release are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.