Mugshot of Javier Francisco Feliciano. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. JOHN — The victim of a home invasion incident on St. John has come forward detailing the harrowing night, information that ultimately lead to the arrest of one man who now faces an array of felony charges.
According to court documents, on August 6, just before 1:00 p.m., the victim reported the crime at the Leander Jurgen Command police station. Recounting the terrifying ordeal, he said that on the evening of August 5, at around 11:00 p.m., he was at his Power Boyd Plantation residence when he heard a knock. Upon opening the door, he was ambushed by three men who forced their way in, brandishing black handguns.
While they demanded money, one of the invaders, identified by the victim as Javier Francisco Feliciano, ransacked the residence, collecting several items. These included three pairs of shoes, various bottles of cologne, and multiple pairs of sunglasses. Interestingly, though Feliciano took $200 from the victim's wallet, he returned $20 back.
In March, Feliciano was arrested on drug possession charges following a traffic stop, according to the V.I. Police Department.
The victim's prior connection with Feliciano was unveiled as he informed officers of having previously transported Feliciano from the British Virgin Islands to the USVI. As the culprits left the crime scene, they took photos of their victim, intimidating him with threats of lethal consequences if he reported the incident. Concerned for his safety, the victim promptly vacated the premises.
On August 7, shortly before 7:00 a.m., the same man called the police, reporting a subsequent incident where Feliciano drove by him in a black truck, making a menacing gesture resembling a gun firing.
Following the public release of a wanted poster for Feliciano, he surrendered to the authorities on August 16 at 9:00 a.m. He claimed he visited the residence in search of personal items from when he previously lived there. Yet, he refrained from giving a formal statement, requesting an interpreter.
Despite attempts to facilitate communication with Spanish-speaking officers, Feliciano was ultimately arrested. He faces charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree assault, home invasion, disturbance of the peace via threats, conspiracy, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and six counts of aiding and abetting.
Awaiting his advice of rights hearing set for August 18, Feliciano was remanded into custody. In the subsequent court appearance on Friday, Magistrate Paula Norkaitis established probable cause for all charges. Feliciano's bail is set at $100,000, fully secured. Should he post bail, he will be mandated to report weekly to the probation office in person, furnishing written proof of job search efforts, staying within the jurisdiction unless granted court permission to travel, and consistently keeping a minimum of 100 feet away from the complainant.
Feliciano's next court date is slated for September 1.
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