Images of robbery attempting inside Oriental Bank By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Last updated at 6:39 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020.
ST. CROIX — V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Toby Derima announced Friday night that today's kidnapping and bank robbery suspect managed to evade police after leading officers on a high-speed chase. Mr. Derima said the last known location of the suspect was in the Annaly Bay area, where he managed to evade capture.
The Consortium was told about the kidnapping and bank robbery attempt incident by police sources Friday morning. A man had kidnapped an Oriental Bank employee and forced her at gunpoint to the bank in an attempt to steal money from the bank's vault during the early morning hours. The suspect's efforts proved to be unsuccessful, with new information provided by Mr. Derima revealing that the suspect held the employee in the bank until the 7:00 a.m. Mr Derima further stated that another bank employee arrived around the 7:00 a.m. hour and immediately called police after becoming concerned.
According to police sources, the suspect rushed out the bank, jumped into a black pickup truck and fled the area after realizing he had been compromised. Mr. Derima said the vehicle that the suspect left the area in — a black pickup truck, according to police sources — was the kidnapped employee's.
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The man is believed to be armed and dangerous, according to police sources. The operation involved a wide-array of police officers, with the effort being described by police as "a big use of force."
At around the 8:00 a.m. hour, police were chasing the suspect around the Carambola area, according to police sources.
At about 10:30 a.m., police told the Consortium that the manhunt was ongoing and that the suspect was last seen in the La Vallee area.
The police news release issued Friday night stated that the last known location of the suspect was the Annaly Bay area.
The V.I.P.D. is urging residents to be on the alert as the suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous. Residents are also urged to report any suspicious citing by calling 911.
The case has been turned over to the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the FBI.
