FREDERIKSTED — The first photo has been released to social media as a tribute to a 42-year-old construction worker who was shot to death on Tuesday morning.
Victor Burgos of St. Croix was gunned down while assigned to a public works crew repairing Carlton Road, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department.
At the VIPD press conference later that day, the commander of the Criminal Investigation Bureau on St. Croix, Lt. Naomi Joseph, appealed especially to parents in the community who know their children have no visible means of support “yet are bringing cash into the home.”
“We are asking the community at large for information that they may have regarding the circumstances surrounding this homicide that occurred,” Joseph said. “Police weren’t there. This a work site. We don’t know Mr. Burgos. We doesn’t know his lifestyle. We don’t know his background. But the community know. You know who he is. You know what’s going on and we’re asking you to please help us so we can bring some type of closure for the family.
“This is not just germane to this gentleman, but to all the homicides that we have been encountering, all the shootings and the violent crime that we have been encountering here in the territory. We don’t know it. You do. You’re holding the information to your chest while more people get harmed. I’m just asking, please, call 911. Call Crime Stoppers. Call the 778-4950. Call 712-6092. Call us. We need your help.”
Meanwhile, a Virgin Islands Free Press consultant about the local law enforcement community said it was “highly unlikely” that Burgos was not living a double life before he was murdered.
“My experience tells me he does have connections to the criminal world and was caught slipping,” the police expert said. “That’s why these guys cover their entire face when they’re working on the roads.”
“Caught slipping” means “caught by surprise” or “caught sleeping” in the Crucian dialect.
Detectives are asking anyone who saw what happened to contact police by calling 911, the Crime Tip Line at (340) 778-4950, or Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-8477. Your tip can be what is needed to bring those responsible to justice.
Burgos’ death contrasts with that of 16-year-old Kimani Perdomo of John F. Kennedy Terrace was killed in a drive-by shooting in May.
Tributes and condolences are being shared across social media timelines over the passing of Burgos and Perdomo.
It is with a deep sense of loss that friends and families mourn their beloved ones who have died unexpectedly.
Detectives are asking anyone who saw what happened to contact police by calling 911, the Crime Tip Line at (340) 778–4950, or Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-8477. Your tip can be what is needed to bring those responsible to justice.