(CNN) — A vacationing Connecticut man is accused of killing a worker at a resort on the eastern Caribbean island of Anguilla, according to local authorities. According to a statement from the Royal Anguilla Police Force, Gavin Hapgood, 44, faces a charge of manslaughter in connection to the death of 27-year-old Kenny Mitchel, a Dominican national and maintenance worker at the Malliouhana resort, in Anguilla – a British territory in the Caribbean that’s a popular tourist destination. A representative for Hapgood, who was vacationing with his family, said the killing was in self-defense, and that Mitchel was “armed and demanding money” when he showed up to Hapgood’s hotel room uninvited on April 13. The circumstances surrounding Mitchel’s death remain unclear. It’s also unclear whether Hapgood has hired a US-based attorney. Reached for comment, Thomas Astaphan, a defense attorney for Hapgood in Anguilla. declined to comment. An autopsy revealed the cause of death was “prone restraint and positional asphyxia.” There were also signs of blunt force trauma to the head, torso and abdomen, Anguilla police spokesman Randy Dick said in a statement. “His (Hapgood’s) daughters were present when the incident occurred,” Dick told CNN in an email. Police said they had no prior interactions with the Hapgood family, and that there was no available security-camera footage of the incident from the hotel. Hapgood was subsequently arrested and charged with manslaughter, according to police. He was arraigned on April 17, and was initially denied bail, police said. But after an appeal by his attorney, he was granted a $75,000 bond and left the territory, on the conditions that he return for an August 22 court date and return within three days of each subsequent hearing. “Based on the legal advice that was given a decision was made to charge Mr. Gavin Hapgood for the offence of manslaughter,” Dick said in a statement on the police department’s Facebook page. The spokeswoman for Hapgood said Mitchel had come to the room uninvited and “attacked without warning” before he was killed. “Neither invited nor expected, the worker showed up unannounced in uniform at the hotel room, claiming he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family,” Kelcey Kintner, a spokeswoman for Hapgood, said in a statement. “A dedicated father and husband and respected member of his community,” she said, “(Hapgood) and the members of his family have been traumatized by the assault they survived and are thankful to be alive.” But Mitchel’s uncle, Victor Mitchel, denied that claim to CBS News. “Kenny was just not a person who’d give anybody problems,” he said. CNN’s Paul P. Murphy, Augusta Anthony, Taylor Barnes and Chandler Thornton contributed to this report.<doc-sep>A spokeswoman for a U.S. financial adviser charged with killing a hotel worker while on vacation in Anguilla said he acted in self-defense and accused the victim of attacking him. Kelcey Kintner released a statement Thursday alleging the worker showed up at Scott Hapgood's room unannounced, saying he was there to fix a broken sink. The statement alleges the worker was armed and demanded money before attacking the family. A spokesman for Anguilla police did not return a message for comment. Relatives of the victim could not be reached for comment. Hapgood returned to Connecticut after he was released on $74,000 bond. He faces an Aug. 22 hearing in Anguilla. The case has sparked racial tensions on an island that caters to wealthy tourists.<doc-sep>DARIEN — A spokeswoman for Gavin Scott Hapgood said Thursday he acted in self-defense during an incident that led to the death of a hotel employee in Anguilla while he and his family were on vacation. Hapgood, 44, of Darien, was charged with manslaughter by the Royal Anguilla Police Force last week in connection with the death of Kenny Mitchel in Anguilla on April 13. Kelcey Kintner, spokeswoman for Hapgood, said he was “attacked without warning in his family’s hotel room by a maintenance worker who was armed and demanding money.” She said Hapgood acted in self-defense to “protect the lives of his young daughters and himself.” The RAPF spokesman Randy Dick said Hapgood’s daughters were in the room when Mitchel was killed at the Malliouhana resort. Despite reports indicating the Hapgoods called maintenance before Mitchel was killed, Kintner said that wasn’t the case. “Neither invited nor expected, the worker showed up unannounced in uniform at the hotel room, claiming he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family,” she said. She said Hapgood and his family were “traumatized by the assault” and “thankful to be alive.” The killing has Facebook comments on the Royal Police Facebook page erupting with speculation — some commenters supporting Hapgood, others Mitchel. But the details of what led to the fatal interaction has not been shared by Anguilla police. More News News Police: Darien man killed hotel worker with kids in room Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory, is located in the eastern Caribbean. There is a small main island and several offshore islets. Hapgood and his family were vacationing at a hotel on the West end of Anguilla. The RAPF said around 4 p.m. April 13, officers responded to the hotel for an incident that “resulted in the death of one resident of Anguilla.” After being arrested and formally charged, Hapgood appeared in court where bail was denied. But a statement from Police Commissioner Paul Morrison said the court ended up granting bail. Thomas Astaphan, Hapgood’s local attorney, told the court that his client would return to Anguilla to clear his name, according to the Anguillian, a local newspaper. The Anguillian reported 27-year-old Mitchel’s death certificate said he died from “prone restraint, positional asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head, neck and torso.” A relative of Mitchel’s sent a Facebook message to Hearst Connecticut Media with a link to a news story and added “Our family wants justice.” The relative did not respond to a follow up request for an interview or comment. Tensions were high following Mitchel’s death, which was initially referred to by RAPF police as a homicide investigation. “We are not shrouding the case in mystery, we are bound by rules and so are others on what can be said,” a statement from Morrison said. “We have charged a man in connection with the death of Mr. Mitchel. The court granted bail and we now prepare for the court process and eventual trial.” The RAPF public media relations officer provided a statement on Facebook about the scores of comments on its page about what happened. “The Royal Anguilla Police Force acknowledges the fact that people want information in respect of the recent arrest and charging of a U.S. tourist, however, like all investigations these are not conducted on social media,” the statement said. “The comments being made on the RAPF Facebook have no foundation in fact and are likely to incite racial hatred and can prejudice a jury, especially since they will be chosen from among the community of Anguilla.” Hapgood is a UBS financial adviser. A representative for UBS told the New York Post they were aware of the events and were following the situation closely, adding that it would not be appropriate to provide “any comment in relation to an active criminal proceeding.” Includes reporting from the Associated Press.<doc-sep>
A Connecticut investment banker who was vacationing on the Caribbean island of Anguilla is accused of killing a hotel worker. Gavin Scott Hapgood, a 44-year-old UBS financial advisor, is charged with manslaughter in the death of Kenny Mitchel. According to local newspaper The Anguillian, the death certificate shows that on April 14, the 27-year old father and hotel maintenance worker died from prone restraint, asphyxia and blunt force trauma to the head, neck and torso. Hapgood was initially denied bail but three days after the incident, he was released on $74,000 bond, angering many locals. The Royal Anguilla Police Force responded to the outcry by posting a statement on Facebook reading, “We are not shrouding the case in mystery we are bound by rules and so are others on what can be said. We have charged a man in connection with the death of Mr. Mitchel. The court granted bail and we now prepare for the Court process and eventual trial.” • Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Mitchel’s family members say they are too upset to talk. A statement from Kelcey Kintner, a spokewoman for Hapgood, claims he acted in self-defense after Mitchel tried to rob him. “Attacked without warning in his family’s hotel room by a maintenance worker who was armed and demanding money, Scott Hapgood acted in self-defense to protect the lives of his young daughters and himself,” reads the statement. “Despite false reports to the contrary, the Hapgoods never called maintenance. Neither invited nor expected, the worker showed up unannounced in uniform at the hotel room, claiming he was there to fix a broken sink before carrying out his sudden, violent attack on the family,” the statement continues. A GoFundMe page set up for Mitchel — who also went by the nickname Mylez — says, “Here is what we know, Mylez was the maintenance man for the hotel. For whatever reason Gavin Hapgood called the front desk of the hotel and it has been said from hotel sources, he asked for Mylez specifically to come to his room where he, his wife and three children were guests. Once inside that room, Mylez would never leave alive.” A spokeswoman for UBS tells PEOPLE, “We are aware of the recent events in Anguilla and are following the situation closely. As you will appreciate, it would not be appropriate for us to provide any comment in relation to an active criminal proceeding.”