Police Searching For Persons Of Interest In Cockpit Double Homicide Incident

Update: Feb. 21, 2018, at 4:27 a.m. — The V.I.P.D. said late Tuesday that it narrowed down the list of people it believes were involved in the double homicide at the Estate Glynn Cockpit to two, with Ivan James being the primary suspect.

Original Story: ST. CROIX — The Virgin Islands Police Department on Monday afternoon issued a release seeking the community’s assistance in locating four persons of interest in connection with the double homicide incident that occurred at the cockpit Saturday afternoon.

The V.I.P.D. is searching for: Ivan James, age 34, stands 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighs 180 lbs. Mr. James resides in Frederiksted, according police; Jamal J. Young, age 37, stands 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighs 200 lbs. Mr. Young resides in Frederiksted, according to police; Elijah Jackson, age 38, stands 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighs 140-150 lbs. Mr. Jackson resides in Frederiksted, according to police; and Malichi Benjamin, age 23, stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 190 lbs. Mr. Benjamin residents in Frederiksted as well, according to the V.I.P.D.

The V.I.P.D. is asking residents who come into contact with any of these individuals, to call the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-778-2211, 911, or Crime Stoppers USVI here.

Double homicide 

According to V.I.P.D. Commissioner Delroy Richards, two men were shot dead on Saturday in the Estate Glynn cockpit, in what he said appeared to be a targeted shooting.

The incident occurred just before 3:58 p.m., according to Mr. Richards. He said several individuals barged through the cockpit door and started firing multiple shots at two specific individuals, both of whom were Hispanic males from the Clifton Hill area, according to Mr. Richards.

“There wasn’t a fight or anything of that nature, where somebody was shot. To us, these individuals were targeted by the shooters,” the commissioner said.

Police blocked traffic headed inside Estate Glynn through the entrance near the gas station, as investigators and emergency medical technicians responded to the scene. One man was dead on arrival, meaning he died on the scene, while the other victim died after being transported to the Juan F. Luis Hospital, according to Mr. Richards.

The victims were identified as Jacobo Garcia, age 46, who was identified by his wife and mother, and Luis Colon, age 31, who was identified by his parents. “We are now in the investigative phase,” the commissioner said.

He said the shooting had all the signs of a gang rivalry, and that police were bracing for possible retaliation. “When folks walk into an establishment and just simply open fire on two people, it’s because the individuals they decided to shoot were the intended targets, so it was a targeted shooting,” Mr. Richards said, adding, “When these things happen we brace ourselves and prepare ourselves with our resources in case there’s a retaliation some place. We’re looking at who all the connections were and what their capabilities are in responding.”

The double homicide brought to four St. Croix’s homicide total for 2018.