KINGSHILL — Superior Court Magistrate Judge Yolan C. Brow-Ross is scheduled to see two defendants in her courtroom in Estate Kingshill on St. Croix this morning:
Edwardo Garcia Jr. is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing on an attempted murder charge, court records show, specifically 14 Virgin Islands Code (V.I.C.) § 922(a) First Degree Murder, specifying it applies to killings done with poison, lying in wait, torture, bomb detonation, or any other willful, deliberate, and premeditated act, as well as murders committed during felonies like arson, burglary, kidnapping, rape, robbery, mayhem, or assault. 14 Virgin Islands Code (V.I.C.) § 331 defines the Penalties for Attempts to commit offenses, outlining punishments for unsuccessful attempts, such as up to 25 years imprisonment if the underlying crime carries a life sentence, and specifies that attempts to commit certain felonies like murder are also covered under these penalty guidelines. It’s the statute that dictates consequences when someone tries but fails to complete a crime, referenced alongside other sections like § 921 (Murder) and § 922 (Attempted Murder).
Garcia, 55, was arrested January 2, 2026 and charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, third-degree assault, carrying of a firearm openly or concealed, first-degree, first-degree reckless endangerment and aiming or discharging a firearm, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
Meanwhile, John Allen, 43, of Cheney Bay, is scheduled for an advice-of-rights hearing after his arrest on a burglary charge on St. Croix, court records show, specifically 14 Virgin Islands Code 444 (V.I. Code tit. 14, § 444) defines the crime of Burglary in the third degree, which involves breaking and entering a building with intent to commit an offense, or committing an offense inside and then breaking out. It falls under Title 14 (Crimes) and Chapter 21 (Burglary) of the Virgin Islands Code.
Key Elements of the Crime:
- Intent: To commit another crime inside the structure.
- Act: Breaking and entering a building or structure (or part of one).
- Alternative Act: Being inside a structure, committing an offense, and then breaking out.
Penalty:
- Up to five years imprisonment, with a minimum of one year for second or subsequent convictions under this chapter.
