Oct. 24, 2001 — St. Croix police have identified suspects in a brazen ambush attempt Sunday on the car driven by the sister of the lieutenant governor.
Barbara James Petersen, sister of Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II, was driving on Melvin Evans Highway at about 8 p.m. Sunday with her daughter and two of her friends following a volleyball game at Good Hope School when two cars boxed her in near Paradise, St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis said. Two shots were fired, striking Petersen’s car.
The car went off the road near the Golden Grove intersection and hit an embankment, Francis said. Neither Petersen nor her passengers were hit by the shots or seriously injured in the crash.
On Tuesday, Francis said police had identified a suspect and an arrest was imminent. He said the ambush was apparently spurred by an earlier altercation between the suspects and one of the passengers in Petersen’s car.
Those in the attackers' car who did not do the actual shooting could be charged with a crime for participating in the ambush, Francis said.