Police arrest man accused of punching V.I. senator
Published: May 17, 2010
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ST. CROIX — A man accused of assaulting a Virgin Islands senator at the La Reine Chicken Shack earlier this month out of anger over a recent vote was arrested Saturday.
Angel Suarez, 58, of Work and Rest, was arrested at 12:03 p.m. and charged with simple assault and battery, a misdemeanor. Police said Suarez punched Sen. Sammuel Sanes in the face.
Bail was set at $500 and Suarez posted it, according to the arrest log.
“Even though the senator himself did not want to press charges, because of the office he holds, he can’t make that decision,” Police Chief Oakland Benta said Saturday.
“I think it’s unfortunate that individuals have resorted to violence in order to express their opinions,” Sanes said Saturday after learning of Suarez’s arrest. “This is definitely not the norm in our society, in our culture. I’ll be honest with you: I have forgiven the gentleman. I think in this case, it was just a mixture of bad judgment and intoxication. I hold no malice towards him or his family.”
Sanes said he had never met Suarez before the incident at the Chicken Shack on May 8.
The senator said that a man sitting at the popular restaurant with one of Sanes’ in-laws that evening started making comments to Sanes about his vote the week before on a government borrowing bill.
After a marathon Senate session May 4 that extended to the early morning hours May 5, Gov. John deJongh Jr.’s proposal to borrow another $250 million to cover government revenue shortfalls projected for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 passed by a one-vote margin, with Sanes among the eight senators who voted for passage.
Sanes said that he tried to ignore the man’s comments, but they did not stop. He said the man ultimately punched him, grazing him just above his eye. Sanes said he held the man down to defend himself.
“I don’t want to press charges. I understand that he was intoxicated and that impaired his judgment, but unfortunately, it is out of my hands” Sanes said, adding that he “extends an olive branch” to Suarez and hopes he can “surpass this difficult situation,” saying he believes it is an “isolated case.”
Sanes said the punch was a glancing blow and that he was not seriously injured by it.
The Daily News was unable to reach Suarez on Sunday. Suarez has not yet entered a plea to the misdemeanor charge. He is scheduled to be advised of his rights today.
— Contact Joy Blackburn at 774-8772 ext. 455 or e-mail jblackburn@dailynews.vi.
