John McCarthy
By: Virgin Islands Free Press News Desk
ESTATE GLYNN, ST. CROIX — A 23-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history, including previously dismissed double-homicide charges, has died after being shot in the head inside a parked vehicle at a St. Croix gas station on Friday afternoon.
Next of kin identified the deceased as Joshawn Ayala, according to an updated alert issued Monday by the Virgin Islands Police Department.
🚨 Gunfire at Moe’s Service Station
According to VIPD releases, the 911 Emergency Call Center received a citizen report at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Friday, July 24, 2026, reporting a man shot in the head in the parking lot of Moe’s Service Station in Estate Glynn.
Upon arrival, responding officers discovered Ayala and an unidentified female sitting inside a black SUV, both suffering from gunshot wounds:
- Ayala sustained a gunshot wound to the head.
- The female passenger suffered a bullet graze wound, described as non-life-threatening.
Emergency medical personnel transported both victims to the Juan F. Luis Hospital, where Ayala later succumbed to his injuries.
⚖️ Prior 2022 Double-Homicide Charges
Ayala’s killing brings renewed focus to his history within the territory’s judicial system. In November 2022, police named Ayala and his cousin, Anthony Schneider, as suspects in the 2022 homicides of Stacie Schjang and Arnold Jarvis Jr.
- Stacie Schjang was killed on Jan. 27, 2022, when a stray bullet fired during a nearby street shootout penetrated her Peter’s Rest home.
- Arnold Jarvis Jr., her boyfriend, was ambushed and fatally shot on a St. Croix beach eight days later after identifying the suspects to investigators.
Extradited from Georgia in early 2023, Ayala was charged with two counts of first-degree murder alongside assault and firearms offenses. However, in May 2025, the V.I. Department of Justice moved to dismiss the charges without prejudice. Attorney General Gordon Rhea noted at the time that the prosecution’s key witness had sworn a recantation affidavit, leaving insufficient evidence to meet the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Ayala was never convicted in connection with either murder.
More recently, in January 2026, Ayala was arrested on gun, ammunition, and drug trafficking charges stemming from an October 2025 incident—ironically occurring at the same Moe’s Service Station in Estate Glynn.
🔍 Active Investigation
VIPD has not publicly named any suspects, disclosed a motive, or confirmed whether Ayala was specifically targeted. Detectives have also not formally linked Friday’s fatal shooting to any of Ayala’s prior cases.
Anyone with information regarding this shooting is urged to contact:
- Emergency Services: Call
911 - Criminal Investigation Bureau (St. Croix):
(340) 778-2211 - Crime Stoppers VI:
1-800-222-TIPS (8477)
