Police locate the red and blue dump trucks stolen from a construction site near the Container Port, recovering both vehicles on a hill in Orange Grove, St. Croix. Photo Credit: VIPD.
In a swift breakthrough following recent reporting from The Consortium, the V.I. Police Department on Tuesday located two of the three trucks stolen from a St. Thomas-based contractor earlier this year. A lowboy trailer — part of the same case — was also recovered in Clifton Hill earlier today, bringing the total number of returned assets to three. One green tractor head remains missing.
The stolen equipment, valued at over $400,000, had been taken in two separate incidents near the Container Port on St. Croix, where the contractor had been stationed while carrying out demolition work at the Charles Harwood Memorial Hospital. The theft, which drew widespread attention, included two dump trucks, two tractor heads, and two lowboy trailers, according to the company.
The VIPD confirmed the recovery of the red and blue dump trucks, with both vehicles located in the Christiansted area — specifically up a hill near McDonald's in Orange Grove. Deputy Chief Naomi Joseph also confirmed the recovery of the lowboy trailer found in Clifton Hill.
The investigation, coordinated by Acting Police Commissioner Sean Santos, gained momentum following The Consortium’s coverage, which highlighted mounting frustration from business owner Marian Prescod, who had repeatedly contacted authorities since the first theft in March. According to Acting St. Croix Police Chief Uston Cornelius, the owner’s latest call on Sunday spurred renewed efforts involving multiple units, including the Intel Division, Motor Carrier Inspectors, Patrol Division, and others.
“After hearing her frustrations, I said, ‘We’ve got to do more,’” Chief Cornelius said. “We mobilized everything we had, and the results speak for themselves.”
While the recent discoveries mark significant progress, the green tractor head — which was seen towing a stolen lowboy in surveillance footage — is still unaccounted for. Deputy Chief Joseph emphasized that the department is following every possible lead. “Right now, we have two of the three vehicles and the trailer. Only one is outstanding,” she said. “We are going to follow all these leads, and the perpetrators will be arrested once we get a hold of them.”
Asked whether the department had received any direct admissions or recovery offers, Chief Cornelius said no formal confessions had been made, adding, “Mercy is the job of the courts. Our job is to recover the equipment and arrest the people responsible.”
The VIPD has expressed its intent to press charges once the individuals responsible are located. The matter originally fell under the jurisdiction of the Virgin Islands Port Authority, as the thefts occurred near property under its purview. However, VIPD assumed a more active role when it became clear that the scope and coordination needed extended beyond the Port Authority’s operational capacity.
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