FREDERIKSTED — A St. Croix man who allegedly fired a gun from inside his vehicle near a heavily-populated housing community was arrested by police on illegal gun charges, authorities said.
Larry Cuencas, Jr., 34 of Prince Street, Frederiksted was arrested about 9:57 p.m. Tuesday and charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession or sale of ammunition, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Officers responded to a 911 Emergency Call Center to investigate “shots fired” near the Fritz Lawaetz Complex (Lagoon Street Homes) on Tuesday night.
An anonymous tipster pointed out the vehicle from which the shots were fired. Officers made contact the driver and vehicle, and recovered an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, according to the VIPD.
Bail for Cuencas was set at $25,000. Unable to post bail, Cuencas was remanded to the custody of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections pending an advice-of-rights hearing.
Virgin Islands residents across the territory have been complaining to Commissioner Trevor A. Velinor about the discharge of firearms in their neighborhoods.
Technology such as closed-circuit cameras, ShotSpotter, and other high tech listening devices that register the sound of gunfire, make police aware when someone fires a gun on island, but community input is needed to make arrests. Thus, “When You See Something, Say Something,” was introduced by the VIPD.
Commissioner Velinor said he “thanks the community for reporting something, when they saw something.”