ST. THOMAS — An armored vehicle guard was shot early Wednesday during an attempted heist outside of the Scotia Bank branch in the Altona and Welgunst area of St. Thomas, law enforecemnt officials said.
Virgin Islands Police Department officers were dispatched to the area around 9:01 a.m., said VIPD spokesman Glen Dratte. One American Ranger Armored Services guard was shot, Mr. Dratte said. The wound was not believed to be life threatening. The guard was taken to the Schneider Medical Center, where he remained in stable condition as of Wednesday evening.
American Ranger Armored Services provides armored transportation services to banks, government agencies, wholesalers, chain stores as well as individual retailers, according to the company’s website.
The case is being handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the VIPD Criminal Investigations Bureau, Mr. Dratte said. Calls to the FBI media liaison in Puerto Rico were not returned.
No arrests have been made, according to the VIPD. It is unclear whether suspects have been identified.
At mid-morning Wednesday, there was no sign of unrest outside of the Scotiabank branch. Two American Ranger armored vehicles were parked nearby, but no police activity was apparent.
The Scotiabank branch in Altona and Welgunst is located in a well-traveled neighborhood near the Medical Arts Complex and the Banco Popular headquarters across the street.