Dear Source,
Last week, seven of us visited St. Croix. We arrived on Saturday and were scheduled to leave the following Saturday. We stayed on the southeastern side of your island in a private house. On Friday night, we visited a very nice restaurant on the eastern side of the island and had a great dinner. As we left, someone followed very closely, but when we turned off to go to our house, our driver did not see the car following anymore.
Unfortunately, later that night we were victims of a robbery. The house was entered while we slept and one side of the house was robbed. We think the perpetrators of this crime were scared by someone coughing or getting up and the other side of the house was not robbed. They took cash from four of our folks as well as a stereo belonging to the house, one watch and two cameras – one that will be very difficult to replace. Fortunately, they left us with our lives, passports and tickets (honor among thieves). We can kiss the cash goodbye but I desperately would like to get my (almost antique) Nikon FE2 camera with a Tokina lens back (any ideas?)!
We were not told by our homeowner that we should be afraid and only heard that we should just be careful if we were "in town" after dark; and we never went in town after dark. We loved your island but I don't know if we could come back again. The police came and were very cordial but noncommittal. The people who run the house and own the house have not been very interested either. The guy that owns the restaurant that we think we were followed from seemed slightly angry that I had even called and warned him.
My husband and I travel pretty extensively and always look for a place for us to spend major time after we retire. We had loved St. Croix and talked about how fun it would be to live there until now we hear all these crime stories. I hate it for your Island, but what are you doing to change the problem?
Anita M. "Nita" Brandenburg
Chattanooga, Tenn.

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