CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Two St. Thomas men wearing masks and disguised as construction workers robbed a jewelry store downtown late Saturday morning, authorities said.
The 911 Emergency Call Center dispatched officers to Namah Jewelry & Gifts located in the Drake’s Passage Shopping Mall in downtown Charlotte Amalie about an attempted robbery about 11:38 a.m. Saturday, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Officers contacted the victim who stated that two black males wearing masks and construction vests entered the establishment, according to the VIPD.
“The suspects, armed with a gun, attempted to remove valuables from the store,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said. “The victim was struck with a firearm during a struggle with the suspects before the suspects fled the area on foot.”
The victim, who was injured during the struggle, was transported to the Roy Lester Schneider Regional Medical Center for treatment, according to Derima.
Meanwhile, Virgin Islands Free Press readers on social media expressed the viewpoint that with everyone wearing masks, it was just a matter of time before the criminals tried to blend in with regular customers.
“They been robbing before the masks,” Avis Ronan said on Facebook. “It’s not the mask fault. It’s the evil intent of man.”
Another V.I. Free Press reader had this opinion of the crime.
“In a couple days that jewelry will be sold on the streets,” Tetyana Hayes said. “People will tell owners about it and owners will come to police with this information. The end of the story. It’s not a first robbery of a jewelry store so store owners must be liking this game. Otherwise, they would do something about it, right?”
This case is currently under active investigation.
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at (340) 774-2211 extension 5579 or the paying anonymous tip line Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-TIPS.