CHRISTIANSTED — Two people were arrested today charged in the murder of a St. Croix woman found shot to death in her car on the Melvin Evans Highway two weeks ago, authorities said.
Effrail Jones, Jr., 23, of La Grande Princesse and Estefani Rodriquez, 21, of La Grande Princesse, were arrested at 7:09 a.m. today and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, third-degree assault, carrying a firearm openly or concealed during the commission of a crime of violence, possession of ammunition, and discharging or aiming a firearm, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Officers of the Criminal Investigation and Special Operations Bureaus executed search warrants at a St. Croix residence and found a firearm and ammunition, according to the VIPD.
“Jones and Rodriguez admitted to the shooting and killing of 20-year-old Reynisha Juanita Rivera on September 12,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said.
Bail for Jones and Rodriquez was set at $1,000,000 each. Unable to post bail, they were each remanded to the custody of the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections (BOC) pending advice-of-rights hearings.
St. Croix District Chief of Police Sidney Elskoe praised detectives for their commitment to closing this case with arrests. He encourages the community to contact the VIPD with tips to help solve other open cases.
“If you see, hear, or know something, please say something,” Chief Elskoe said.
