FREDERIKSTED — A St. Croix man who tried to run away from police on foot after his vehicle was pulled over for a routine traffic stop was arrested on drug charges Thursday, authorities said.
Carl S. Cornelius, 22, of Estate Concordia West, was arrested at 6:28 p.m. Thursday and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute; and obstructing, delaying, or interfering an officer in the discharge of his duties, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Officers working as part of the Virgin Islands Crime Initiative conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Cornelius at a gas station in Estate Plessen, according to the VIPD.
“During the traffic stop, Cornelius exited the vehicle and attempted to evade officers on foot,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said. “When Cornelius was eventually captured, he was found with a large amount of marijuana. Other drug paraphernalia was also found in the vehicle.”
Bail for Cornelius was set at $7,500. Unable to post bail, he was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections pending an advice-of-rights hearing.
In May of 2017, Cornelius was arrested along with two men and one woman in connection to an East End carjacking-rape.
St. Croix District Chief of Police Sidney Elskoe praised the continued success of the Virgin Islands Crime Initiative.
“Our officers work diligently to find those in our community who illegally possess firearms and drugs,” Chief Elskoe said. “We will continue to pound the pavement to arrest them.”
The police chief urged everyone who knows about illegal activity to contact police by calling 911, the Crime TipLine at (340) 778-4950, or Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-8477.
All individuals listed as arrested or charged with a crime in this news article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.