CHRISTIANSTED — People on St. Croix will have to be wary of traveling in isolated areas now that a carjacking that happened near a church in Work and Rest late Friday night.
A man and his sister told police they were in a black Acura Integra when two black me with handguns approached and took their car from them about 11:30 p.m. on Friday.
The vehicle, which bore license plates from Connecticut, was later recovered abandoned about half a mile from where the incident took place, a police source said.
The victims said the men shot at them before fleeing the area in the stolen car. No one was reported injured in the incident, but no word from the police as to whether they will investigate the violent incident.
A source claimed police made a cursory search in the area for the suspects, but were unable to find them quickly in the dark and police gave up the search for fear of being shot at themselves.
Estate Work and Rest is bordered by Catherine’s Rest, Pearl and Granard off of Centerline Road and the South Shore Road connects the Bugby Hole and Granard Roads to it.
There are three churches near Work and Rest: Church of God Holiness Academy, Word of Life Ministries and Victorious Believers Ministries.
The Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) has a solve rate of less than two percent for violent crimes committed in the territory.
A carjacking with a gun is a federal crime and is prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice if local authorities make an arrest in the case.
