CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Virgin Islands Police are still searching for two people wanted for separate shootings on St. Thomas and St. Croix recently.
The latest shooting occurred Friday on St. Thomas, and police identified the suspect as 48-year-old Arnold Malone. Police described Malone as a black male approximately five-feet, four-inches tall and weighing approximately 175 pounds.
That case began at 2:10 p.m., when police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in Altona. The driver “got out, fired shots and sped off,” according to police. “Officers later discovered the vehicle had been abandoned at a different location and the suspect fled on foot.”
Malone previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm after a shooting on St. Thomas in August 2019, and was sentenced to 33 months behind bars. Malone was released from federal prison on December 23, 2021.
He was still under supervision when he was arrested again in March and charged with several crimes, including assault and being a felon in possession of an unlicensed firearm, according to V.I. Superior Court records.
VIPD mug shot of Arnold Malone, 48, on St. Thomas.
Prosecutors dropped those charges in October after informing the court that they were “unable to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.”
Police issued an alert Friday afternoon, warning that Arnold is considered armed and dangerous.
In response to questions, police spokesman Glen Dratte said Sunday that Malone remains at large, and investigators are asking for community members to provide information about his whereabouts.
Police are reminding the community that harboring a fugitive is punishable by law, and anyone who helps hide a suspect “could face significant criminal penalties,” including jail time and fines, according to Dratte.
VIPD photo of Valatina Sanchez, 30, on St. Croix.
Police are also still searching for the suspect in a shooting on St. Croix on January 31, after 911 callers reported a man shot in the roadway in Questa Verde. The victim was taken to Luis Hospital for treatment and was in critical but stable condition.
Police identified the shooting suspect as 30-year-old Valatina Sanchez, who is approximately five feet and four inches tall with black hair and a light complexion. She was last seen wearing khaki knee-length pants and a dark shirt as well as carrying a red or maroon handbag.
Dratte said Sunday that a warrant has been issued for Sanchez’s arrest, and officers are still searching for her on St. Croix.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Sanchez or Arnold is urged to contact police by calling 911, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-642-8449, or the anonymous tip service CrimeStoppers USVI at 1-800-222-8477.