_.jpg "Sen. Diane Capehart was the victim of an armed carjacking Monday (Bill Kossler 2013 file photo).")
While Sen. Diane Capehart was erecting campaign signs with another individual near the Hannah’s Rest intersection Monday evening, she was victim to a dangerous armed robbery and carjacking.
Emergency dispatch operators at 911 advised St. Croix police of the incident on Melvin Evans Highway about 8:15 p.m. According to the initial investigation, while the unidentified male victim was erecting a Capehart campaign sign, two unknown males armed with handguns emerged from the bushes and approached him, demanding money and jewelry.
The men then approached the senator who was inside the vehicle. The men ordered her out and stole the blue 2013 Jeep Wrangler. The suspects stopped a few feet up the road to pick up three more suspects who were hiding in the bushes before driving off in an eastward direction.
The stolen jeep had a license plate number CEP 352. It has Capehart campaign signs in the windows and Capehart campaign stickers on the bumpers.
Police Commissioner Rodney F. Querrard responded to the news of the robbery and carjacking by suspending all in-service training and ordering more officers to patrol the streets. “Community safety is our first priority,” Querrard said.
Querrard also lifted overtime restrictions currently in place and ordered "results and productivity" for the time worked, according to a statement from the commissioner’s office. Querrard said, "These criminals living among us must be stopped.”
He said, “This is our community and we must do everything possible to combat this total disregard for life and property."
Anyone with any information regarding this case is asked to call detectives at 712-6031, 712-6024, 911 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers USVI at 1-800-222-TIPS.
And you expect the “tourists” to come. Even a Senator is not safe. Clean the garbage off the streets or St.Croix will continue to be St.Cry.
Other than God, everything around us is destined to change. The youth of today and the youth of yesterday are two completely different entities. I love the Catholic Church but the church must do more to approach these young people and bring them back into the circle of prayer/love/compassion/peace. Church leaders and members need to take an active role in the community to put practice to the preaching. It is stated in James, “Be ye doers of the word, and not just hearers of the word.” If you are Muslim, stated in the Quran, Mohammad states, “mere religion stands for nothing, unless it is put into practice.” The only way to get our children back on the right track and our islands back to decent communities again, is to actively include God into the mix.
*Youth church camps
*Church counseling for the youth (Talk & Listen Sessions)
*Church members house calling
Why just an Ag fair and why not a Youth Fair, where our young people compete for prizes in art, cooking, baking, games, etc… We display our beautiful animals but how about putting the talents of our young people on display…
Good ideas but is anybody listening?
Parents stand up and hold your kids responsible and accountable. This Thug Look and glamorizing the lifestyle needs to stop! We need strong men to stand up and be role models for these young men. We also need the Police to step up, to be responsive, we all know everyone is related on this island but that can’t interfere with arrests and punishment. POLICE, NPS, NATIONAL GUARD, COAST GUARD, FEDERAL MARSHALS, etc….. We have many resources for CLEANING UP THE STREETS! Our island could have more visitors and more people moving here if they felt safe. Do any of our Senators or Law Enforcement ever read these comments?? Maybe they don’t want it to get better. Maybe they fear losing control.