ST. CROIX — It was about 3:45 a.m. on Tuesday, when Anthony Harris — still asleep, albeit lightly — detected unfamiliar movements in his home. Living in an apartment in Queen’s Quarters, a mostly middle-class community just north of the Juan F. Luis Hospital, Mr. Harris, like many others, sometimes keeps his door unlocked. But his unguarded stance worked against him this morning, when he realized that someone had entered his home and was going through his belongings, looking to escape with them.
“I don’t remember hearing anything, but I saw somebody in my apartment and I couldn’t believe it, and it looks like he was trying to take my pants,” Mr. Harris said. Chased out, the suspect ran down a hill behind Mr. Harris’s apartment into nearby bushes, leaving the sandals he wore behind, Mr. Harris said.
Police responded quickly to the incident, Mr. Harris noted. Officers told Mr. Harris that a woman residing at the Queen’s Quarters Villas made a similar report, giving rise to fears that the suspect may have targeted the community for easy break-ins. “The only reason why he didn’t get into that woman’s house is because she had a little dog,” Mr. Harris said, quoting police.
Both Mr. Harris and officers encouraged members of the Queen’s Quarters community to lock their doors. “I’m on the other side of the villas, and it looked like he might have just walked from one side to the other just trying doors. Everybody should lock their doors,” Mr. Harris said.
As for identification, Mr. Harris said the suspect was wearing a black, or dark-colored shirt at the time of the burglary, but Mr. Harris could not see the color of the suspect’s pants, nor could he give a description of the suspect’s face.
The V.I.P.D. is encouraging the community to report suspicious activity by calling 340-778-2211, or Crime Stoppers USVI with an anonymous tip here.
Tags: burglary, queens quarters, usvi