CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A man suspected of killing his father this morning is in custody following a manhunt on the Northside of St. Thomas, authorities said.
Mohammed Salem, 34, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder-domestic violence, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Salem was captured in the waters off Tropaco Point in Hull Bay at 12:17 p.m., according to the VIPD.
Image of Mohammed Salem, 34, police released while the manhunt was underway.
The suspect is accused of stabbing his father to death about 7:45 a.m. today at their Estate Lerkenlund home before fleeing the area.
While he was on the run, the nearby Joseph Sibilly Elementary School was placed on lockdown.
Police issued an alert at 10:30 a.m., warning residents that Salem should be considered armed and dangerous and anyone with information should contact 911 immediately.
A slew of police vehicles was stationed along Hull Bay Road in the area of Estate Lerkenlund, just east of what is known locally as the E&M market, where Salem was often seen sitting on the side of the road, smoking cigarettes and gesturing with a thumbs up or thumbs down to passing motorists. On occasion, he could be found walking down the middle of the road in traffic.
Another police vehicle was parked outside Sibilly School, where officers could be seen patrolling in the school’s courtyard.
Police cars parked along the side of the road in Hull Bay as officers searched for the wanted suspect.
According to court records, Salem was charged in March 2018 with the attempted murder of his father, Hakeem Salem. Under a plea agreement, he pleaded no contest to a charge of third-degree assault, domestic violence, at a hearing in March 2019 in Virgin Islands Superior Court and was sentenced to five years in prison. Mohammed was paroled in December 2020, according to a news release at the time from the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections.
Police said Salem was apprehended in the vicinity of Paradise Bay. Mohammed Salem was placed
under arrest and transported to the Bureau of Corrections, pending an advice-of-rights hearing.
Anyone having any information about this crime please contact the Virgin Islands Police
Department at 340-774-2211 or Major Crimes Unit 340-642-8449. You can also contact
Crime Stoppers USVI at 1-800-222-8477 or 911.