The Crown Bay Marina on St. Thomas, where police say a worker allegedly attacked a man during a confrontation. (VIPD has not released a mugshot of the suspect.) Photo: VI Consortium

According to court records, police were summoned to the marina on Sunday morning after being notified of an assault that took place. There, they met a man who told them that one of the groundskeepers, Ericson Hainrich, had punched and kicked him, and menaced him with a machete.

The man said that as he was walking through the marina, Hainrich rode up in a golf cart and told them that he could not traverse the area. The groundskeeper reportedly approached the other man brandishing a machete and pushed the pedestrian into a grassy area.

Incident captured on video

The man recorded some of the incident on his phone, and shared the video with police. Officers could hear Hainrich threatening the other man, and could see him holding the machete. They heard the man accuse Hainrich of kicking him, and Hainrich confirming the accusation, but the video did not show the strike.

When police spoke to Hainrich in person, he confirmed that he pushed the other man. He explained that he and the man had had several other confrontations, and told officers that he had caught the unwanted visitor defecating and urinating towards the rear of the marina during a prior encounter. Despite this, Hainrich admitted to not making any formal complaints with marina security, officers of the V.I. Port Authority, or with police.

Officers arrested Hainrich, charging him with third-degree assault, simple assault, and disturbance of the peace. Unable to post the initial $25,000 bail, he was remanded into custody to await his advice of rights hearing.

In court on Monday, Magistrate Paula Norkaitis found probable cause to uphold the charges against Hainrich. She allowed him to post an unsecured bond to secure his release ahead of trial, but ordered that he be restricted from travel outside the jurisdiction while the matter is pending. Hainrich will also have to contact the probation office every week by telephone, and have no unlawful contact with the alleged victim. He is also prohibited from using alcohol or controlled substances and possessing firearms, ammunition or any dangerous weapon while the case is before the court.

The next court appearance for Hainrich is scheduled for November 7.