Two local bartenders charged with raping a holidaymaker

ST. THOMAS – Two men were arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a woman in the staff quarters of the hotel where they worked.

According to court documents, the woman and her friend told police they met Shaquille Cruz Rosario and Roger Perez Velazquez earlier this year when they came to St. Thomas on vacation. The men work as bartenders at the Pink Palm Hotel. Last Thursday, the women returned to St. Thomas and checked into the hotel. That same evening, they met up with Rosario and Velasquez and went out partying.

In the early hours of Friday morning, the alleged victim said she went to the staff house of the hotel where the men were staying and sat with him in Rosario’s room to smoke. At one point, he reportedly started kissing and fondling her, which she initially told police was fine. However, when Rosario began freeing his genitals from his pants, she told him she did not want sex. He reportedly continued kissing her.

Shortly afterward, the woman said, Velazquez came into the room, straddling Rosario. The men allegedly exchanged a few words in Spanish, and then Velazquez allegedly began groping her breasts while covering her mouth with his free hand. Then Rosario began raping her, the woman told officers. Her attempts to free herself from the two men’s grip were futile, she said.

According to court documents, the woman told police when the assault was over, Rosario apologized several times while Velazquez insisted on accompanying her back to her hotel room. When she returned, the woman told her friend what happened and the couple began avoiding the two men. However, the woman’s friend said she spoke to Velazquez on Saturday, who allegedly admitted that Rosario had wronged her friend. Velazquez allegedly said he told his co-worker he needed to apologize.

However, when police made contact with the two suspects, they claimed that the woman was the one who initiated the sexual activity. Rosario reportedly admitted to penetrating the woman, but said it only happened once. Velazquez, meanwhile, reportedly denied putting his hand over the woman’s mouth.

The woman stated that she suffered from lacerations and bleeding after the attack, but did not initially file a report out of shame and fear that no one would believe her.

After listening to recordings of the conversation between the woman’s friend and Velazquez, police decided to arrest both men and charge them with first-degree rape, first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful sexual contact, as well as aiding and abetting on all three counts.

‌On Tuesday, both Velazquez and Rosario appeared before Judge Paula Norkaitis, who found sufficient probable cause to maintain the charges against them. The men were each given bail of $100,000, half of which must be paid in cash before they are released pending trial.

If they post bail, both men will have to surrender their travel documents and driver’s licenses to the court and call the probation office every week. Each man will also have to stay at least 30 meters away from the two women.

The arraignments for Rosario and Velazquez are scheduled for June 21.