Police: Man describes victim's ear as 'chewy'
Published: January 11, 2013
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ST. CROIX - A 34-year-old homeless man with a history of mental illness was arrested Wednesday after police said he bit another man, partially severing his ear.
Bryan Stuart was charged with third-degree assault and appeared before Superior Court Judge Harold Willocks on Thursday morning to be advised, but Willocks said he was concerned that Stuart did not understand the court proceedings. The judge questioned Stuart, who said that he understood what was happening but also gave answers to some of the questions that were irrelevant to the conversation.
Willocks ruled that Stuart could not adequately be advised of his rights to satisfy the requirements of the law.
The charges stem from a report made to police Wednesday, in which a man said that he was in the Frederiksted area when he saw Stuart trying to set a vehicles on fire.
The man said he called out to Stuart and asked him what he was doing, and they began to argue. Stuart then attacked the man and bit his ear.
The man drove himself to the hospital, where he received treatment that required 25 stitches, according to the police report.
When police found Stuart, he admitted to biting the man, but he told police that he was in the Frederiksted area and the man was harassing him and trying to rape him. Stuart said they began to fight, and that he bit the man's ear and it was chewy, according to police.
Bail for Stuart was set at $25,000 and he was remanded into custody at Golden Grove Correctional Facility.
Willocks set a follow-up hearing for him for 9 a.m. Jan. 30.
- Contact Fiona Stokes at 714-9149 or email fstokes@dailynews.vi.
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