St. Thomas Man Arrested in Murder of Estranged Wife at Galleon House

Police have arrested 54-year-old Tizoni A. Mahoney, charging him with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of his estranged wife, 42-year-old Maireni Heredia Tiburcio, whose body was discovered Friday, August 29, at the Galleon House on St. Thomas.

According to the V.I. Police Department, officers were called to the guesthouse around 11:48 a.m. after 911 received a report of an unresponsive female. Responding officers found Tiburcio with at least one gunshot wound to the upper body. Emergency Medical Technicians later confirmed she had no vital signs, and she was officially pronounced dead at 12:26 p.m.

An investigation by the VIPD’s Criminal Investigation Bureau concluded that Tiburcio was shot and killed by Mahoney. He was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. Mahoney is awaiting his advice of rights hearing.

This latest arrest follows earlier incidents of reported abuse. On July 3, Tiburcio sought help from Port Authority police at Cyril E. King Airport, telling them she had been assaulted by Mahoney after what investigators later described as “a week of torment.” According to police records at the time, she detailed being dragged from the shower, slapped, kicked, and choked to the point of unconsciousness.