ATLANTA — Two cousins accused of the killings of a Virgin Islands Lottery worker and her lover a year ago were arrested in Georgia over the weekend, authorities said.
Joshawn Ayala, 20, and Anthony Schneider, 31, were taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Columbus, Georgia on Friday, the Virgin Islands Police Department said..
The two men were arrested in connection to the killings of 46-year-old Stacie Schjang, who was struck by a stray bullet in her home on St. Croix a year ago, and Arnold Jarvis, who was found shot to death a week later.
VIPD Communications Director Glen Dratte said police are seeking to extradite Schneider and Ayala back to the Virgin Islands to face prosecution.
Schjang’s death occurred at 8:10 a.m. on January 27, 2022, in the area of Castle Coakley and Peter’s Rest when “an innocent young lady lost her life when a stray bullet entered her bedroom and took her life. One bullet,” Police Commissioner Ray Martinez said during a news conference hours after the shooting.
Police announced a $25,000 reward for information about the crime, and Schjang’s family implored community members to come forward with tips that might help the investigation.
A week later on February 4, 2022, police found 52-year-old Arnold Jarvis dead in a vehicle on the road leading to Green Cay beach.
After the murders, Martinez confirmed to local media that Jarvis and Schjang were acquainted. He would not specifically define their relationship, but said investigators were exploring whether the victims’ acquaintance was a factor in the killings.
Following news of the arrest of the two men on Friday, Martinez released a statement praising the partnership between local, state and federal authorities.
“It was a collaborative effort between local and federal agencies that provided assistance that made these apprehensions possible, and the community as a whole, who continues to be a consistent partner,” Martinez said of the St. Croix District’s Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, V.I. Port Authority Police, and Homeland Security Investigation, St. Croix District.
“I will do my very best to ensure the officers have the resources to fight crime in the territory” the police commissioner said.
Back in November, police said officers with the Criminal Investigation Bureau’s Major Crime Unit had secured arrest warrants for Ayala and Schneider, who were both believed to be on the mainland.
At the time police noted that both men, who are maternal cousins, were believed to be responsible for the murders of both Schjang and Jarvis.
Police gave physical descriptions for the men, which included the fact that “Schneider’s left arm is deformed from gun shot injuries,” and said both are known to frequent Atlanta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida when on the mainland.
In his statement Friday night, Martinez said specifically that the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office Drug, Gang, and Fugitive Unit, executed “two felony murder arrest warrants” in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service, arresting both men without incident.
Both Schneider and Ayala had outstanding warrants for first-degree murder in the Virgin Islands, and Schneider had an arrest warrant for arson, issued by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, according to the news release.
Police urge anyone with information about the crime to call 911, 340-712-6040, 340-712-6092, or make an anonymous report to the tip service CrimeStoppers USVI at 1-800-222-8477 or CrimeStoppersVI.org.
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