St. Croix Man Offers To Drive Woman Home, But Rapes Her Along The Way

FREDERIKSTED — A St. Croix man offered to drive a woman home, but first took a detour along the way in order to rape her, authorities said.

Police were notified of a first-degree rape at 5:58 p.m. on Saturday, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.

A female victim reported that she accepted a ride home from a male acquaintance, according to the VIPD.

“The male took her against her will to a different location, where he sexually assaulted her,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said. “The victim stated that she was in fear for her life during the encounter. The male took her home after the incident.”

This case is currently under active investigation.

If you have information that can help police solve this crime, please call 911, the Crime Tip Line at (340) 778-4950, or the paying anonymous tip line Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-TIPS (8477).

John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.