CHRISTIANSTED — Police are investigating after 911 dispatchers received a call at 9:31 a.m. Friday about arson at a home in Estate Humbug on St. Croix, authorities said.
Chavez Ali, 28, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree arson, third-degree burglary, grand larceny and destruction of property, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Bail for Ali was set at $75,000.00 as per chart. Unable to post bail, Unable to post bail, he was remanded to the custody of the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility.
The Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Medical Services (VIFEMS) were dispatched from companies A (Renceliar I. Gibbs Fire Station) and C (Herbert L. Canegata Fire Station) in response to the blaze.
Upon arrival, they found a fully involved fire at the residence, police said. The VIFEMS crews quickly worked to extinguish the fire and prevent any potential risk to neighboring homes.
The fire was extinguished within the hour of arrival on scene and no injuries were reported, VIPD Communications Director Glen Dratte said.
To ensure that the fire was completely doused, assistance was provided by Companies M
(Charles A. Seales Fire Station) and F (Emile Henderson, Sr. Fire Station), with VIPD and
Rescue also responding, according to Dratte.
Upon 911’s notification of the arson at the Estate Humbug residence, preliminary investigation by the VIPD Criminal Investigations Bureau revealed that, the victim stated he left his father’s home locked and secured on Thursday, January 19, 2023 and on January 20, 2023 he received a call from the suspect, who stated that he needed a ride from his grandfather’s house, the police spokesman said.
The victim stated that he refused to provide the ride and told the suspect to leave the residence. He stated that when he arrived at his father’s house, he saw the suspect in the front of the property acting erratically so he called for police and left to meet the officers. When he returned to the house it was engulfed in flames, according to police.
The complainant identified the suspect as son, Chavez Ali and he was subsequently detained. Ali was booked and processed pending an advice-of-rights hearing scheduled for Monday in Superior Court.
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