Bond denied for Tangier Island man accused to assault and battery of EMS workers

By Linda Cicoira

Bond was denied for a Tangier Island man Thursday in Accomack Circuit Court who has been accused of the assault and battery of emergency workers last January.

Defense lawyer Jon Thornbrugh said an order for a sanity defense for 48-year-old Charles Dise, of Main Ridge Road, was submitted in August but wasn’t sent to the psychiatrist who would evaluate him, which thereby caused a delay.

“He has been in custody for 10 months,” the attorney said, adding that he has been restored and is taking medication. “If there is a substance abuse issue, he has been sober for 10 months. His mother will assist him. He also has a caseworker at CSB.” The agency “will be seeing him and will meet him … at the ferry once a week.”

Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan said he couldn’t support the bond. “He has a long history of issues on Tangier,” including “heavy substance abuse … He has been restored previously.”

Judge Lynwood Lewis Jr. said he was concerned because pretrial services had reservations. “I think we ought to let that play out based on that he may be a danger to himself or … others.”

Morgan suggested that a status hearing be held in December with a request to expedite the evaluation.

Dise is accused of assaulting Michael Parks of the Tangier Fire Department and EMS responder Olivia Pruitt.

Judgement was withheld in the case of 55-year-old Roland Eugene Jones, of Salisbury, Md., who was charged with the theft of nearly $1,400 worth of property from Walmart. Jones was given $50 to drive the car when the incident occurred last February. Other suspects, his passengers, were alleged to have actually stolen the goods. The charge will be dismissed if he pays restitution within a year and remains on good behavior.

Thirty-year-old Summer Leanne Jones, of Rantz Street in New Church, pleaded guilty to a May 30, 2025, charge of possession of cocaine. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with all the time suspended on the condition that she complete a drug rehab program. She will be on supervised probation for three years and good behavior for five years. Her driver’s license was also suspended for a year.