St. Croix Couple Arrested After Court-Ordered Search of Their Property Allegedly Reveals Illegal Live Ammunition

FREDERIKSTED — While executing a judicial search warrant at the home of a St. Croix couple, police allegedly found illegal live ammunition on the property, authorities said.

Members of the Virgin Islands Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Bureau (CIB) in coordination with the Special Operations Bureau (SOB) began the search about 4:28 a.m. on Saturday at an undisclosed location on St. Croix.

ARRESTED: Daniella Flavien on St. Croix

During the search of the unidentified property, police discovered several live rounds of ammunition in a vehicle belonging to Esteban Encarnacion and Daniella Flavien — who live at the residence that was searched.

Police said that Encarnacion and Flavien are not licensed to possess such ammunition in the territory.

Each of the two St. Croix residents was arrested and charged with illegal possession or sale of ammunition, according to the VIPD.

Unable to make post bail of $10,000 each, Encarnacion and Flavien were each remanded to the Golden Grove Detention Center pending an advice of rights hearing.

No further information was available from police.

John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.