Crime

Man Charged With Arson After Allegedly Setting Woman's Vehicle on Fire

ST. CROIX — A man appeared before the V.I. Superior Court on Friday after allegedly setting a woman’s vehicle on fire. On March 16, police met with a woman who reported to them that when she got home at 3:30 p.m. that day, she met Elvis Stapleton who seemed agitated, silently pacing in the roadway with a hammer in his hand. The woman told police that she ignored Stapleton and went inside, but subsequently looked outside and noticed that he was using the hammer to remove the hubcaps off of all the tires of her vehicle. He then stood in front of her vehicle which prompted her to go outside to tell him to not hit her vehicle.  According to documents presented in court, Stapleton darted past the woman through the open door and into her house. He reportedly grabbed a gasoline bottle, returned outside and began pouring the gasoline on the vehicle. He then lit the front of the woman’s vehicle on fire with a lighter he had in his possession. After setting the vehicle ablaze, the alleged ars...