bank of st croix robbery

I heard they caught the three of them, near the Palms, Judiths Fancy kind of area, where they have been finding stolen cars all year.

Heard from 2 reliable sources that they caught 3 from the bank robbery.

I wonder if they'll get in any trouble, even if convicted. I doubt it honestly.

There are plenty of good cops, but out court system is an absolute joke.

They will go to court and forced to promise to never do it again and then let go.

a school is on lock down, elena christenson i believe. the cops were chasing someone and they ran into the school

What happened?

Not much information on that... Click... http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/police-mum-on-chase-thursday-in-la-grande-princesse-1.1747427

yeah, i did not hear much this morning either from the co worker

So I'm at the Palms this evening enjoying my adult beverage, talking with Rico, the bartender about the rumors. He related a very interesting story about our 'intelligent' robbers.

They were apprehended yesterday, 'at the Palms', in room "13"! How lucky can they get? Tom, the maintenance guy confirmed the arrest. Front desk gal said they checked in prior to the heist (wasn't on duty then but had the scoop). I asked if they were wearing black hoods but she wasn't sure. Rico informed me the police had the roads blocked and the perimeter covered and no shots were fired. Tom said the room was torn up and drugs found (not by him, of course).

All in all, I'd say '13' wasn't their lucky number…

Is this a great rock or what?

So they robbed a bank and then checked into the Palms with cash from the bank?
And now the Palms is out their room fee and gets to fix up the trashed room as well?

Courts should drop them off on Buck Island.

How about Shark Island, instead, and they can live off catching Lionfish!

So they robbed a bank and then checked into the Palms with cash from the bank?
And now the Palms is out their room fee and gets to fix up the trashed room as well?

Courts should drop them off on Buck Island.

I was told they checked in before the job. Maybe they used their American Express Gold card. Or maybe the Buccaneer was full.

And I'll add... they built a police sub-station on North Shore Rd that to this day SITS EMPTY!!!! Overgrown with bush! WHY don't they man this station? Is it too dangerous? What about the people who live in this area? Pissed away the money, I'm sure ...Build it and they will come????? Yea, the criminals and scum bags! Why doesn't our government hear "the people"?

THAT IS A HORRIBLY DANGEROUS NEIGHBORHOOD and the reason the substation was put in in the first place. The people who live up the road behind that old Danish school will rob you blind in a millisecond. Don't let the million dollar waterfront homes on the water side of the street confuse you. This is a dangerous place to be alone outside of a locked vehicle or out from behind a locked gate. I've had my car broken into in that area several times, and there's a consistent rash of burglaries at the businesses on the North Shore that cannot be dealt with promptly because they are simply too far away from any police presence.

That vacant substation makes me want to scream every time I see it.

Word I heard was that after they completed the construction, it kept getting broken into and vandalized so often that they decided not to staff it. Or maybe they just "spent" all the money building it and then couldn't "afford" to staff it. Either way, HUGE waste of money. HUGE. And a horrible message to send the law abiding residents and business owners of the North Shore that the VIPD would rather let the LaVallee kids run the place.

IT

Guess nobody thought about neighborhood watch up there; with AK-47's… Shouldn't take too long to rid themselves of the kiddos...

Where exactly is this overgrown substation ?

Scubadoo, it's the blue building across from the 2 dive 4 villa that's oceanfront. It looks like a house. Just before the old cane bay reef club.

Hey, just ask Chucky to get it done!

Where exactly is this overgrown substation ?

LaVallee. A tiny blue building right next to an old broken down school before you get to all the Cane Bay businesses. Just around the curve past the drug tree and whatever Lobster Reef is called now. The school looks like it's a parking lot, but it's actually the road leading up the hill. 2DIVE4 is now a rental villa and I don't think those vacationers have a clue. I do housesitting at one of those oceanfront properties quite a bit. I never leave the house without the Ridgeback. After one vehicle break in (I was parked in MY HOUSE'S DRIVEWAY, but not behind the locked gate), the next door neighbor told me that the kids up the road sit there and watch the expensive houses and wait until they see an unoccupied vehicle and then drive down the road, and do a smash and grab.

Fun fun fun in the sun!

IT

Iris Tramm,

I believe that categorizing that area in LaVallee by the old school house as "horribly dangerous" is a bit melodramatic. While it may be a higher risk area than some other places it is not the cesspool you make it out to be. I have been involved with 2 vacation rental homes within sight of the police substation for years, one that rents out probably once a month and the other two to three times a month on average, and the guests at both have never had any issues at either house. One of the houses in 2010, when it was just being placed on the vacation rental market, was broken into while unrented and one TV was taken but there was no other damage and nothing else was taken, including other TVs in the house, but that has been it. So somehow all those clueless vacationers over the years have managed to have great vacations without experiencing any crime - at all - anywhere they have gone on island. I certainly realize that crime happens here, and many people I know on a social basis, including myself, have been a victim of crime at some point, but if I was scared to live here and live a normal life I would have moved away long ago.

Now that arrests have been made the FBI will get involved and there should be a standard prison sentence if convicted. On top of that an automatic gun specification should be imposed which is usually a 3 year sentence in addition to the sentence for the robbery sentence. Even if they let the bad guys out after a year they would then have to serve the three years. That is if feds get involved. I am not totally sure if that is how it works on the islands. Good police work but also good work by those who tipped off the police as to their "accommodations."

C_Ray, I believe down there simply having even a shell casing is liable for a five year sentence. I know it is for a gun.

Even better!

people seem to be under the impression that any time a poster mentions crime then they must be so afraid for their life that they could not possible be happy here. crime happens and yes, you are more apt to be a victim here than in most other places. but that does not mean that for most people, they want or need to move back to the states because of that.

the biggest reason people seem to move back is due to the high cost of living, health care, and family

I've lived on STX for a long time and am not really concerned about the crime. Sure its been on the rise lately but will eventually subside.

Iris Tramm,

I believe that categorizing that area in LaVallee by the old school house as "horribly dangerous" is a bit melodramatic. While it may be a higher risk area than some other places it is not the cesspool you make it out to be. I have been involved with 2 vacation rental homes within sight of the police substation for years, one that rents out probably once a month and the other two to three times a month on average, and the guests at both have never had any issues at either house. One of the houses in 2010, when it was just being placed on the vacation rental market, was broken into while unrented and one TV was taken but there was no other damage and nothing else was taken, including other TVs in the house, but that has been it. So somehow all those clueless vacationers over the years have managed to have great vacations without experiencing any crime - at all - anywhere they have gone on island. I certainly realize that crime happens here, and many people I know on a social basis, including myself, have been a victim of crime at some point, but if I was scared to live here and live a normal life I would have moved away long ago.

Well said JE. I live near LaVallee and know many of the people living in the area. If you live in LaVallee and get to know the neighbors they will watch out for you. There may be a delinquent or two in the group but, definitely not any worse than other parts of island.
The North Shore gets a bad rap! Lived on North Shore over 13 yrs without a problem......
North Shore STX Rocks!!!!

Crime is everywhere and probably always will be. There is middle ground here. Though we should not over react and be frightened enough never to come out of our homes (criminals win), we should also hold our elected officials, law enforcement, and judges accountable for taking steps to make crime as infrequent as possible. We should also hold one another accountable by getting involved, reporting things that just don't seem right. Coming forth with information that could help law enforcement solve or prevent crimes is also crucial. This is what community spirit is all about whether you live in Houston Texas or a small island in the Caribbean. We are in this together.

Lobster Reef Cafe->Above The Cliff
So the north shore drug tree is the one at the intersection between Rowdy Joe's and Above the Cliff where the old store used to be?