FREDERIKSTED — A St. Croix man who has been on the run for more than two years was captured in Georgia and returned to the territory to face double murder charges.
Justin Nesbitt was apprehended without incident by U.S. Marshals in Henry County, Georgia on November 27, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Nesbitt and three other men — Gilberto Rivera, Jr., 32; Luis A. Rivera, 38; and Jameel Williams, 29 — were each charged with first-degree murder and numerous related crimes in connection with an April 19, 2021 shooting at Aureo Diaz Heights that left two men dead and an 11-year-old girl injured.
VIPD mug shot of Justin Nesbitt of St. Croix
The shooting occurred at around 7:46 p.m. on April 19 at the Aureo Diaz housing community, with four people struck by bullets — Michael Ramos, Juan Velasquez, Guillermo Rivera, and the 11-year-old child, who was on a nearby playground.
Ramos,33, and Velazquez, 38, died from their gunshot wounds at the Juan F. Luis Hospital, St. Croix Police Chief Sidney Elskoe said at the time.
At 9:30 p.m. the same night, there was another shooting in the area of Cash and Carry in La Reine, which left Jovel Newton dead, Elskoe said.
In the second shooting, former Virgin Islands Police Commissioner Trevor Velinor also said at the time “we also had law enforcement who were involved in a proactive investigation.”
Police had previously said that the shooting started as an argument between neighbors who all lived in Aureo Diaz, but they did not elaborate about possible motives.
Lt. Naomi Joseph, commander of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, said in May 2021 that detectives had identified Nesbitt as a murder suspect who had fled to the U.S. mainland, but expressed confidence he would be captured quickly.
A warrant issued for Nisbett’s arrest yielded negative results and he stayed on the run for over two years.
Nisbett subsequently signed a waiver of extradition and was returned to St. Croix on Friday, according to the VIPD,
Upon arrival on island, the suspect was processed, booked and transported to the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility pending an advice-of-rights hearing scheduled for today.