CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A brave St. Thomas deli owner fought back against three armed robbers — but was pistol-whipped for his trouble, authorities said.
Police are seeking three masked men for an armed robbery at the Nidal Deli and Grocery in Estate Dorothea on St. Thomas’ northside Wednesday night.
On February 12 at approximately 9:27 p.m., the 911 Emergency Call Center dispatched officers to Nidal Deli and Grocery, located at Estate Dorothea, in reference to a robbery, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The investigation revealed that the victim was outside the store when three men wearing masks approached him, according to the VIPD.
“One of the men held him at gunpoint and demanded money, while the other two went into the store,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said. “The victim attempted to escape the situation and ended up in an altercation with the suspect who was holding him at gunpoint, who assaulted him about the head with the firearm.”
The suspect then took cash from the victim, while the other two suspects took cash out of the store’s register, Derima said. The suspects then fled the area in a silver four-door sedan, traveling westward.
The victim was transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center by ambulance, where he was treated for the injuries he got in the incident.
“The a.ka. lack of job is causing this to happen in the VI,” Lucian Wallace said on Facebook. “Please go into these areas and hand them jobs. Please!”
But another Facebook reader of the Virgin Islands Free Press disagreed.
“GIVE them jobs???” Monica Oheema Harrigan replied. “There are jobs out here….they don’t want the jobs they’re qualified for. They don’t want to learn a skill so that they can get higher paying jobs. It’s easier to rob and steal from hard working people.”
Ray Husband agreed with Monica Oheema Harrigan.
“Ain’t no lack of jobs dude,” Husband said. “MF’s don’t want to work. They coulda find 4/5/6 hundred to buy a gun right. MS dem just want what they want when they want and don’t give af if they have to take yours.”
Robina Lee Glaszcz agreed on St. Croix.
“Lazy useless POS robbing from working class????.” Glaszcz said on Facebook. “Always locked and loaded. Stay armed????????.”
This case is currently under active investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).
Anyone with any information regarding this crime is urged to contact 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at (340) 774-2211 extension 5579 or Crime Stoppers USVI at 1(800) 222-8477.