St. Croix man held after wrench attack on ex's vehicle

A St. Croix man is in custody following his admission that he used a wrench to destroy windows on his former partner's silver Toyota Highlander in a Christiansted medical facility parking lot.

K'Mani Bruce was taken into police custody on Wednesday and faces charges of destruction of property in a domestic violence context, as well as vehicle tampering. He remains held at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility awaiting an advice-of-rights hearing before Superior Court Magistrate Christopher M. Timmons. Under local domestic violence law, he was denied bail.

The damage occurred on Tuesday, September 29, around 8:05 p.m. at Diamond Urgent Care. The vehicle's owner, Twanisha John, discovered that all but two windows of her Highlander had been shattered, the driver's side front and rear windows were the only ones still intact. She told officers that Bruce, her child's father, was responsible and that he drove a white Acura TSX.

A coworker at the facility reported hearing forceful smashing sounds at approximately 6:40 p.m. and witnessing a white four-door sedan leave the lot at high speed.

On Thursday, Virgin Islands Police Department Officer Jordan C. Edwards contacted Bruce by phone. Bruce agreed to come to the Ancimo D. Marshall Command station in Christiansted for questioning. After signing away his Miranda rights, Bruce initially offered a different account: he said he was merely dropping off a friend and had been driving someone else's pickup truck.

When investigators revealed that surveillance video showed his Acura TSX departing the scene, Bruce's explanation fell apart. "So you saw me on the camera?" Bruce responded, according to police. He then acknowledged using a wrench to break the windows, attributing his actions to anger over what he claimed were death threats from John. Police noted that Bruce offered no evidence to back up this allegation.

After his confession, Bruce was transported to the Wilbur H. Francis Police Operations Building in Frederiksted for processing before being transferred to the correctional facility.