CHRISTIANSTED — At least five men and two women were arrested in connection with a July shooting at the New Cool Out Bar on St. Croix, authorities said.
Mario Magras 27, Eric Acosta 22, Kaleem Fleming 22, and Reynaldo Philbert 24, allegedly discharged firearms and struck a man in his chest inflicting serious injuries while in the Peter’s Rest bar on July 19, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Arrest warrants were obtained by Criminal Investigation Bureau investigators. Mario Magras turned himself in at the Wilbur Francis Command Frederiksted, while Eric Acosta, Kaleem Fleming were arrested under Operation Cool Out at their respective homes, according to the VIPD.
While executing the warrant at the home of Mario Magras the occupants opened fire on the announcing officers, grazing one of the officers as a result; the adult occupants were arrested and charged with assault 1st Degree and Unauthorized Possession of a firearm after a firearms license check revealed that they were not license to possess any of the two fully loaded handguns that were found in the dwelling. Arrested were Ana Magras 26, Melanie Adams 27, Flavel Magras 29, and Jamarie Grigg 28.
A search warrant was obtained for the Pepper Tree Terrace, the Sunny Isle-area home of Kurt Huggins 23, who was also at Cool Out Bar on July 19, 2019, and once inside the dwelling an AR 15 was discovered by the side of the bed fully loaded.
He along with Sonieliz Melendez Rodriguez 23, was arrested and charged with Unauthorized Possession of a firearm after a firearm check revealed that they were not authorized to possess a firearm in the Virgin Islands.
On October 7,2019 Renaldo Alfredo Philbert Jr, turned himself in at the Wilbur Francis Command at around 8:40 p.m., Philbert was charged for Attempted Murder First Degree, bail was set at $200,000. He was remanded to the Bureau of Corrections Detention Center pending advice of rights hearing.
