Two men arrested after firearm, ammunition seized during traffic stop

Two men arrested after firearm, ammunition seized during traffic stop

CHRISTIANSTED — Two men from St. Croix were charged after a firearm and ammunition were seized during a traffic stop on Monday morning.

Luis Noel, 19, and Donnie Heywood, 18, were arrested and charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession or sale of ammunition, the Virgin Islands Police Department said today.

The case began at 10:35 a.m. Monday, when police spotted a black BMW operating without license plates near the Sunny Isles Shopping Center, according to the VIPD.

VIPD mug shot of Luis Noel 19, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

“A traffic stop was conducted in the vicinity of the former Smoked Restaurant, yielding a loaded firearm from inside the vehicle,” VIPD spokeswoman Kishma Chichester said.

A background check revealed that neither Noel or Heywood were licensed to carry a firearm in the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to Chichester.

Bail for Noel and Heywood was set at $50,000.00 each. Unable to post bail, they were transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility in Golden Grove.

VIPD mug shot of Donnie Heywood, 18, of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Noel and Heywood were scheduled for advice-of-rights hearings in Superior Court today.