Officers from the V.I. Police Department on Tuesday arrested 39-year-old Hubert Mervin Daniel, 39, of Pile Strade on St. Thomas and charged him with extortion and threat of domestic violence.
VIPD officers were dispatched to the Family Resource Center on Commandant Gade on St. Thomas at about 1:51 p.m. Tuesday in reference to an abduction. At the scene, the officers made contact with the victim, accompanied by Family Resource Center personnel. The victim told officers that Daniel was the father of her three-year-old minor child. Daniel told the victim that the child needed to go on a vacation for three weeks, prior to the start of school. He also insisted that the minor child travel with the victim’s neighbor to North Carolina.
According to the victim, the minor child and the neighbor traveled to North Carolina on July 23. Subsequently, the victim informed officers that on Aug. 11, the neighbor returned to St. Thomas without the minor child. Further investigation revealed that when the victim contacted Daniel via cell phone, he threatened to report her to the Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency if she reported the minor child missing. Daniel contacted the victim via cell phone to obtain the child’s Immunization and Social Security Cards. The victim refused to release the documents.
With more questioning, officers discovered that the victim had no knowledge of the minor child whereabouts. The victim concluded that she received an anonymous call from a female stating that she did not ask for the child to be here and as a result of contacting the police, she will turn over the minor child to Child Protection Services agency in North Carolina.
Daniel was transported to the Criminal Investigation Bureau where he confessed that he threatened to report the female victim to ICE, as she reported. He was turned over to the Bureau of Correction pending his advice of rights hearing.
Police urged anyone with information about the case to contact the VIPD at 340-774-2211 ext. 5617, Major Crime Unit at 340-714-9830, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-714-9807 or the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers USVI, at 1-800-222-8477.
