Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg was arrested Thursday "after assaulting his girlfriend and using a weapon (firearm) to threaten and intimidate her," according to the V.I. Police Department. The arrest was made at 2 p.m. in the VIPD complex at Mars Hill in Frederiksted.
The charges stem from an alleged Jan. 28 assault by the 48-year-old married senator from St. Thomas on a 19-year-old female described in the arrest report as a "girlfriend." The alleged incident, which wasn’t reported until the following day, occurred at Estate Santa Maria on St. Thomas. The name of the alleged victim has not been released by authorities.
Donastorg is charged with one count of assault in the third degree, under the V.I. domestic violence statute; one count of aggravated assault and battery; one count of brandishing a deadly weapon (firearm); and one count of using a dangerous weapon (firearm) in the commission of a crime of violence.
Donastorg was released from police custody on his own recognizance Thursday afternoon after voluntarily turning himself in to police at the request of police investigators, according to a statement from the V.I. Department of Justice.
Television and print media waited outside the Mars Hill offices Thursday after reports Donastorg had arranged to turn himself into police between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. There was no entry in the V.I. Police Department arrest log at that station prior to that time and no sign of Donastorg during that period.
However, when media examined the arrest log again at 3:30 p.m., Donastorg’s arrest was logged, indicating he was taken into custody through some back entrance or processed and released without entering the building.
When asked about the monthlong delay between the incident and Thursday’s arrest, Justice Department spokesperson Sara Lezama said authorities had to investigate in order to determine if there was probable cause for arrest.
Magistrate Alan Smith is expected to advise Donastorg of his rights Friday in the Magistrate Division of the V.I. Superior Court located in Barbel Plaza, St. Thomas.
USVI Senators are still leading by example, I see.
diego, Those who live in glass houses and all. This man is innocent until proven guilty but, no way should he have been able to use his influence to avoid arrest for a month. In the same situation, especially with a gun involved ANYONE else would have been arrested immediately.
I hope his wife gives him the boot and I hope the voters do also ( if in fact the charges turn out to be true). My opinion is they will end up to be true, but that’s just me!
warvet07
In the good old USA, you are innocent until proven guilty. If this did happen, then he should be punished. I am not into politics, but even Ray Charles can see this is politically motivated. Think about it,The truth will prevail.
Regardless of guilt or innocence on the domestic violence charges, there’s another big issue here: What is a 48 yr old Senator (married or not) doing with a 19 yr old “girlfriend”. The balance of power in a relationship like that is bound to be one-sided.
Here we go again! Just imagine the things that have not come to light. Think about it.
This is the same individual that is supposedly making the U.S Virgin Islands a safer place to live? He needs to apply his own laws to himself, BIG RAPIST, BIG CRIMINAL. Is this the Big Clown I suppose to look up too. That is why people are taking matter into their own hands because our justice system and the people that make the laws are the most corrupted. They have Failed to represent the people that have elected them, same goes for the VIRGIN ISLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, crime is soaring in our islands and what are they doing NOTHING! The police department is Hiring a bunch of inexperience women to help out the KIDS IN BLUE that are afraid to fight crime you know what I call that?
A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT TO ME AND THE PEOPLE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS……..
AND this thing about being innocent until proven guilty YEAH right!!! Here in the V.I everybody gets away with murder…….