V.I.P.D.’s Operation ‘Round Them Up’ Yields Five Arrests On St. Croix

ST. CROIX — A collaborative effort between the Virgin Islands Police Department and the V.I. Attorney General’s Office resulted in the arrest of five suspects said to be involved in various crimes, V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Glen Dratte announced late Saturday.

The A.G.’s office approved multilple affidavits, and arrest warrants were secured and an action plan was approved, according to Mr. Dratte. St. Croix Police Chief Winsbut McFarland gave the greenlight for the arrest of five suspects on Saturday, which was executed by the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the Special Operation Bureau and the K-9 Unit. The operation was called “Round Them Up”.

The arrests are below:

Samuel McDonald, 19
Arrested for first degree robbery, possession of a dangerous weapon during the commission of a crime of violence, first degree assault, third degree assault, failure to report firearms obtained outside or brought into the Virgin Islands, and discharging and aiming a firearm.

According to police, Mr. McDonald robbed at gunpoint a citizen of his phone and gold chain in Estate Sion Farm in the vicinity of the Ball Park on June 24, 2016. He was arrested at 1:03 p.m. in Lorraine Village.

Unable to post bail, Mr. McDonald was remanded to the Golden Grove Detention Center pending his advise-of-rights hearing.

Dale Henry, 49
Arrested for first degree robbery, possession of a dangerous weapon during the commission of a crime of violence, first degree assault, third degree assault, failure to report firearms obtained outside or brought into the Virgin Islands, and discharging and aiming a firearm.

Police say Mr. Henry robbed an employee at Top Gas Service Station on November 22, 2015 of cash and fled the scene. He was later identified as the perpetrator.

Mr. Henry was arrested in the vicinity of Cruzan Petroleum in Sion Farm at approximately 2:24 p.m. Unable to post bail, he was remanded to the Golden Grove Detention Center pending his advise-of-rights hearing.

Omari Horton, 23, Leroy Edwards, 23, and Shomari Ferrance, 24

All three men were arrested for third degree burglary, grand larceny, and possession of stolen property after they were identified as the persons who broke into A to Z Academy in Estate Orange Grove, Christiansted and stole electronic equipment on April 7, 2016.

Mr. Horton was arrested at 1:15pm and Leroy Edwards was arrested at 12:43 p.m. .Both were arrested in separate locations in the vicinity of the Water Gut Shanty, according to police.

Mr. Ferrance was arrested at 1:02 p.m. at the Golden Grove Correctional Facility where he was being detained for a previous charge. All the suspects’ bails were set at $50,000 each by Magistrate Judge Miguel Camacho on September 7 — three days prior to  the actual operation and the same day the arrest warrants were signed, according to Mr. Dratte.

The arrest warrants were executed by members of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and Special Operation Bureau without injuries, use of force or any other incidents, according to the release.

The V.I.P.D. says it’s continuing its territorial initiatives and is asking the community for its continued support.

If you have any information that may lead to arrest of suspects, call the Criminal Investigations Bureau on St. Croix at (340) 778-2211 and the St. Thomas/St. John branch at (340)774-2211. You may also call Crime Stoppers VI at (800) 222 TIPS, or 911.