John McCarthy
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A homeless man was arrested on the eve of Christmas Eve on St. Thomas and charged with stealing a car and stealing tools from a business, authorities said.
Matthew Brafford, 34, of no fixed address, was arrested about 10:45 a.m. Monday and charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and third-degree burglary in two separate incidents, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Brafford was identified as the person who removed a vehicle without permission from Crown Bay, according to the VIPD.
In an unrelated matter, he was also identified in surveillance footage as one of the men who removed several tools from an unnamed St. Thomas business, VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said.
Bail for Brafford was set at $25,000. Unable to post bail, he was remanded to the custody of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections pending an advice-of-rights hearing.
This case is currently under active investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).
Any persons with information regarding this crime are urged to contact 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at (340) 774-2211, extension 5579 or Crime Stoppers USVI at 1 (800) 222-8477.
