ST. THOMAS -- A 54-year-old St. Thomas man has been charged with murdering his estranged wife, Maireni Heredia Tiburcio, less than two months after he was arrested for domestic violence against her, according to V.I. Police and court records.
Tiburcio, 42, was found dead at 11:48 a.m. Friday at the Galleon House Hotel in Charlotte Amalie, and police said she had "at least one gunshot wound" to her upper body.
On Monday, police announced that they had arrested Tiburcio's estranged husband, Tizoni A. Mahoney, and charged him with first-degree murder.
Police have not released any details about the case, and the probable cause fact sheet supporting Mahoney's arrest will not be made public until after he has made his first court appearance.
Mahoney was already awaiting trial in a recent domestic violence case, in which he pleaded not guilty to several charges, including second-degree assault, disturbance of the peace, and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
That case began on July 3 when Tiburcio fled Mahoney's moving vehicle and ran into King Airport seeking help, according to the six-page probable cause fact sheet filed by police. Officers documented her physical injuries, transported her to Schneider Hospital for treatment, and brought her to a safe location with the assistance of the Family Resource Center.
Early the next morning at 4:16 a.m., Mahoney went to the police station to report his wife missing.
A few hours later, Tiburcio's son and daughter-in-law went to police and reported receiving a disturbing call from Mahoney, who told them he was married to Tiburcio -- something they had not previously known. Mahoney said he dropped her off at the airport and when he went back to look for her, "she was gone," according to the fact sheet.
On July 5, police took a statement from Tiburcio, who gave a harrowing account of Mahoney's brutal physical and psychological abuse.
Tiburcio said she had met Mahoney while working at Frenchman's Reef Hotel. They had been living together since February and "had just gotten married on June 16, 2025," according to police. "Ms. Tiburcio said that immediately after they married, Mr. Mahoney began treating her like she was his property and accused her of having an affair."
Tiburcio "recalled that she suffered a week of torment beginning on June 22," which began when Mahoney strangled her until she became unconscious, according to the fact sheet. "Ms. Tiburcio said that when she came to, she remembered being slapped in her face multiple times and Mr. Mahoney throwing water in her face, trying to wake her up."
Mahoney, "was screaming at her but everything sounded very far away," she added.
Tiburcio said Mahoney dragged her upstairs in front of other family members, and accused her of having affairs with his male relatives, including one man she'd never even met, according to the fact sheet.
Tiburcio said she wanted to leave but Mahoney had taken her phone, and "it was not the first time that Mr. Mahoney had strangled her and tried to kill her," according to the fact sheet.
Mahoney promised to take her to the emergency room but instead "drove around the entire island instead of taking her to the hospital" and he also took her "to the immigration office to ask about self-deportation," according to the fact sheet.
For the next week, "Mr. Mahoney continued to antagonize her by yelling to wake her up or strangling her," according to the fact sheet, and he told her he spoke to an immigration officer on the phone "and he was advised that they would be given one thousand dollars for her to self deport."
On July 3, "Mr. Mahoney began accusing her again," and Tiburcio said he made her pack her belongings "and told her that he would have her deported," according to the fact sheet, and "if she does it one more time she will never wake up after falling asleep."
According to the fact sheet, "Ms. Tiburcio added that he told her that he would put roach powder in her mouth and make her swallow it, and that he would send her back to the Dominican Republic in a black bag."
Tiburcio told police that Mahoney's behavior became even more terrifying, and he "began searching for a hotel room and she felt as if he was planning to do something bad to her."
Tiburcio said Mahoney drove her to a remote area in Fortuna Bay, pulled out a gun, "and pointed it directly at her saying, 'Now tell me the truth,'" according to the fact sheet. "She said Mr. Mahoney pointed the gun at her head and asked her if she planned to die while telling him lies."
Tiburcio said Mahoney continued to threaten her with the gun for about 30 minutes before getting out of the vehicle, and "he racked the gun and she saw a bullet fall to the floor," according to the fact sheet, but Mahoney "also told her that he will not kill her with a gun, he will kill her with his own hands."
Tiburcio said Mahoney continued driving her around until the early morning, and when they were near the airport she dove out of the moving vehicle and "continued running until she was safely inside," according to the fact sheet.
Tiburcio told police "she feared for her safety and decided that she would rather be deported than leave the airport with Mr. Mahoney, who also scared her by saying "that he is very well connected on the island."
Police arrested Mahoney on July 8, and he declined to make a statement.
Mahoney was released after posting $4,500 cash and signing an unsecured bond to secure the remainder of his $15,000 bail.
Magistrate Judge Simone Van Holten-Turnbull ordered Mahoney to have no contact with Tiburcio while awaiting trial, which is currently scheduled to begin in March, according to V.I. Superior Court records.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to call 911, the Criminal Investigation Unit's Major Crimes Division at 340-714-9823, 340-714-9828, 340-714-9829, or on WhatsApp only at 340-642-8449. You can also contact the anonymous tip service, Crime Stoppers VI, at 1-800-222-8477.