Suspect Arrested After Violent Argument Left Victim Paralyzed

ST. THOMAS, USVI — The Virgin Islands Police Department announced on Monday that they have arrested Rupert G. “Big Youth” Walters, Jr. and charged him in the violent attack that left Tim Scott partially paralyzed.

The incident occurred on May 28 in Cruz Bay. Tim told the Virgin Islands Daily News that he spoke up in defense of an older man who was being accosted. He recalled, "this guy was bullying an older gentleman, threatening him and yelling at him in his face and I said, ‘Hey man, chill out, chill out. We turned and walked down the street a little and I heard the guy yell out, ‘Mind your own business!’ I turned around and he was running at me. He swung at me and I fell to the ground. He got behind me and stabbed me in my neck three times. I thought I was getting punched but when he ran off I tried to stand up and I couldn’t move because I was paralyzed.”

Police identified Rupert G. “Big Youth” Walters, Jr., age 46 of Estate Pastory, St. John as the suspect. After receiving a tip that Walters was hiding out in the Michael J. Kirwan Terrace housing community, a team of officers arrested Walters without incident.

Walters is charged with 1st Degree Attempted Murder, 1st Degree Assault, Use of a Dangerous Weapon During the Commission of a Crime of Violence, Mayhem, and other related charges.

During the attack, Tim Scott received a stab wound to the neck that left him paralyzed on the left side of his body. Scott runs St. John Eco Station’s floor cleaning business and does maintenance for Calichi at Picture Point. Friend and family have started a fundraiser to help pay for his medical care and rehabilitation. According to the fundraiser page, Scott is receiving rehabilitation in New York in hopes of regaining as much movement as possible.

Bail for Walters was set at $100,000, which he could not post. He was subsequently turned over to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections, pending his Advice of Rights hearing.

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