John McCarthy
CHRISTIANSTED – A St. Croix man was arrested on charges related to allegedly brandishing a loaded semi-automatic pistol in a crowded supermarket.
Samuel “Sammy” Melendez, 43, of St. Croix made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge George Cannon after his arrest by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations special agents on the charge of possession of a Ffirearm within a school zone, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert said.
According to court documents, on October 8, 2018, Melendez was brandishing a firearm and cursing at customers in the H & R Supermarket in Frederiksted.
Melendez was later found to be in possession of a loaded .380 caliber Jimenez Arms pistol.
This occurred within 1,000 feet of the St. Patrick’s Elementary School.
The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Huston.
Shappert said that an arrest warrant is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt.
“Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty,” she said.
