Burglary Suspect Placed On House Arrest

ST. THOMAS — V.I. Superior Court Magistrate Carolyn Hermon Percell ruled that there was sufficient evidence to move forward on burglary and related charges against Tyshown Belle, V.I. Department of Justice Public Media Officer Corliss Smithen announced Friday.

Following his arrest on Feb. 16, Belle, 26, of Tutu Hi-Rise made his initial appearance in court Friday morning to be advised of his rights on one count each of third-degree burglary and grand larceny stemming from a Feb. 13 break-in at an Est. Wintberg apartment.

Prosecutors characterized Belle as “an extreme danger to the population,” while referring to his previous arrests – including a Jan. 4 arrest – on similar charges and requested that he be placed on house arrest.

Magistrate Hermon Percell concurred that Belle was a danger to the community, maintained his bail at $25,000 and allowed him to post ten percent. She also ordered him to abide by a number of court-imposed bail conditions, which include house arrest with electronic monitoring.

According to the probable cause fact sheet filed by Det. Alex Dorsett, the victim discovered that several of her jewelry and $400 in cash were missing from her home. Video footage from a surveillance camera showed that a man, whom Dorset recognized as Belle, entered on to the property from an unknown area, approached one of the surveillance cameras and altered it by pointing it into the air, according to Dorsett.

The suspect then travelled to the lower portion of the apartment and used a ladder to climb onto the southern side of the victim’s porch. He then unlocked the sliding door and entered the apartment. Once inside, the suspect took the jewelry and money, made his exit through the same sliding door, climbed back down the ladder and fled into the nearby bush. A man driving a vehicle stopped and picked up Belle, Dorsett wrote.

Belle is scheduled to make his second court appearance on Mar. 2 for his arraignment hearing, at which he will formally answer to the charges.