Red Brick crime scene on Tues. Dec. 28, 2021. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — The V.I. Police Department Tuesday evening arrested a suspect in connection with today's homicide in Red Brick that left one man dead and another critically wounded.
Police arrested 19-year-old Francis Javaughn, also known as Taz or Ollie, this evening and charged him with first-degree murder and related charges. A mugshot of the suspect was not available at time of publishing as he was still being booked.
Two men were shot in Red Brick Tuesday afternoon and one succumbed to his injuries while the other was last listed as being in critical condition at the Juan F. Luis Hospital. The deceased victim has since been identified by next of kin as 21-year-old Jose M. Rivera.
Police Commissioner Ray Martinez first expressed condolences and healing to the family of the victim. He then praised the responding officers and detectives for their diligence and successful execution of the operation. And he thanked the community for providing what the commissioner said was invaluable information that led to the identification of a person of interest who was subsequently arrested and charged.
"The community was instrumental in providing officers with information that proved critical in the department's investigation today," he said. "This information led to a person of interest being identified and later arrested as our investigation developed."
The arrest of the murder suspect is the second major arrest in two weeks under Mr. Martinez's leadership. On Dec. 17, four males, including a minor, were arrested on more than twenty counts for the criminal offenses linked to the early Dec. shooting and robbery of Glitter's Jewelry Store in St. Thomas.
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