CRUZ BAY — The owner of St. John jewelry store was shot in the face during an armed robbery Thursday afternoon and police said they’re looking for two unidentified suspects.
The shooting occurred at 2:00 p.m. at St. John Bracelet when two unknown men entered the jewelry store. One of the suspects shot the owner in the face, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The two suspects fled the store with an unknown amount of jewelry, according to the VIPD
Police said the victim was taken to Schneider Regional Medical Center for treatment, but have not provided any information on the victim’s current condition.
Police did not release physical descriptions of the suspects and did not reveal if each suspect carried a gun.
Acting St. Thomas Police Chief Clayton Brown said the investigation is moving forward and “we are asking the community for their assistance.”
“If anyone who was in the area remembers seeing anything, no matter how minor, please contact the police. We need the people of our community to aid the department to solve this cowardly act,” Chief Brown said.
The armed robbery comes four months after a similar daylight incident, in which three gunmen ransacked another Cruz Bay jewelry store at around 1:14 p.m. on January 18.
Police have released little information about that case, and said only that it occurred at Imperial Jewelers in Mongoose Junction, and the men entered the store with guns and stole jewelry.
Police said the men left on foot headed towards Northshore Road. But eyewitnesses said the robbers left the scene in a getaway vehicle, a black Toyota RAV 4. Police have not responded to questions about the discrepancy.
Eyewitnesses also shared photos of the fleeing gunmen on social media, which did not show their faces, but did give a picture of their clothing. Police did not respond to questions about the images or release any details about the suspects’ physical descriptions.
Police never publicly identified the suspects in the January armed robbery or made any arrests, and the case remains unresolved.
This case is currently under active investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau. Anyone with
any information regarding this crime is urged to contact 911, Criminal Investigation Bureau
Detective J. Carty at 340-693-8880 ext. 5207 or Detective S. Rhymer at 340-774-2211 ext.
5572 or Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1-800-222-TIPS.