CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Police today announced an arrest in the fatal shooting of a woman in the parking lot of Home Depot in St. Thomas on Saturday afternoon.
Justin A. Matthews, 23, of Contant, was arrested on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. and charged with first-degree murder, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Police said Matthews was the lone gunman in the shooting death of 20-year-old Keoner Baron in the parking lot of Home Depot in Estate Donoe on September 4.
Matthews was arrested for repeatedly stalking and harassing another St. Thomas woman in June of 2020, according to police.
Despite numerous VIPD reports filed by Baron, police were apparently powerless to prevent her murder at Home Depot on Saturday.
In all, Matthews was accused of stalking and repeatedly harassing at least two women on St. Thomas since 2019, before he allegedly tracked down Baron at the Home Depot parking lot and shot her to death in front of multiple witnesses.
Denied bail, Matthews was turned over to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections, pending his Advice of Rights hearing.
Police Commissioner Nominee Ray Martinez thanked community members for giving officers information on this incident, leading to Matthews’ swift arrest. “This is a perfect example of how efficient we can be when the VIPD and the community work together. Let’s continue to make this happen,” Commissioner Martinez said.
Martinez also asked people in the community to stop sharing videos of the victim of this violent incident and other violent crimes, stating that it makes the healing process harder for grieving families.
Anyone with information on any crimes is urged to contact police by calling 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at (340) 774-2211, or anonymously to Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-8477. Remember, if you see something, say something.
All individuals listed as arrested or charged with a crime in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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