Mugshot of Ervin Noel Jr. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — An 18-year-old has been arrested and charged with first-degree burglary being caught on camera inside his neighbor's home.
Ervin Noel Jr. was arrested on September 15 following a report made by the victim’s daughter, who stated on September 14th she was at home when she got a notification on her mother’s ring camera which is installed at the residence. She stated that when she looked at the video, she saw an individual standing in the living room.
According to the probable cause fact sheet, the victim’s daughter thought that it was her mother, but upon further inspection saw that the person was too tall and did not have on a t-shirt. She stated that she observed a young male individual standing over her mother, who was asleep on the couch in the living room. The male individual took an item of clothing that was on the couch and started walking over to the other couch where the mother was lying asleep. She then stated that she yelled through the camera, “Hello, Hello, who are you?” The individual then turned around, noticed the camera and walked out of the frame.
A review of the video footage from the ring camera observed the male individual, later identified as Ervin Noel Jr., standing in the living room with a long pipe in his hand, looking at the victim. Noel then placed the pipe on a dining room table and crept over to the couch. In the footage, Noel was seen picking up a heavy material resembling cloth from the couch, and started walking over to the other couch where the victim’s head was. A voice was then heard saying, “Hello, hello, who are you?” Noel then put the cloth down, turned around and walked out of the living room.
On September 15, the victim was present at the Wilbur H. Francis Command where she stated that she recognized the individual from the video as a male who lives in the home across the street from her mother’s residence. She stated that on multiple occasions she received multiple complaints from the neighbor, who said that the mother had been taking the male individual’s basketballs.
She said that while her mother may have taken the basketball, on one occasion, she gave him money for a new one, and on the other occasion, she informed the neighbor that she would look for the ball or replace it herself. She stated that a stolen ball should not have made the individual so mad that he would try to harm the victim.
The probable cause fact sheet also stated that Noel gave a statement to the police. He said that when he got home the day in question, he was looking for his basketball and could not find it. He stated that he knows that his neighbor is elderly and usually takes his things and keeps them in her yard. He then went into the neighbor’s yard to look for the basketball and decided to walk around the yard to look for more of his belongings. He said that when he walked to the back of the house he saw that the backdoor was cracked open. He then entered the home and began to look around.
According to the probable cause fact sheet, Noel stated that he found a pipe on his way into the home and took it with him. He said that he was unaware that people were in the living room because he did not see anyone. He observed a bedroom light was on and assumed that is where his neighbor was. He further stated that he does not know why he picked up the robe that was on the couch and that he did not enter the home to harm his neighbor. When he heard a voice and thought it was coming from the bedroom, he left.
In the V.I. Superior Court on Friday, a judge ruled that Noel would be released into the third-party custody of a relative upon the posting of an unsecured bond of $50,000. He is to have no contact, directly or indirectly with the victim or witnesses in the matter. He was also ordered to surrender his passport, and is barred from traveling outside of St. Croix without written authorization from the court. Noel, who was placed on a 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew, has to report to the Office of Probation every Tuesday and is to conduct a work search. He is also not permitted within 1,000 ft of the residence of the complainant.
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