Mugshot of Deandre George. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. CROIX — In recent weeks, officers of the V.I. Police Department have made a slew of firearms arrests following stops for traffic infractions. On Friday afternoon, it happened again.
Police were patrolling Northside Road, near a gas station, when they reportedly spotted a gray Honda Civic headed in the other direction, reportedly with no front license plate and no registration sticker on the windshield. The officers turned around, activated the lights on the police unit, and stopped the Civic, which reportedly turned into Moe’s Service Station.
The driver, Deandre George, told them that the car was his brother’s, and the documentation for the vehicle was with him. He was not able to provide his driver’s license when asked, and while police were speaking to him, they reportedly spotted a vial in the car’s center console that contained a substance officers thought could be marijuana. George told them that he had less than one ounce of the substance in the vehicle, and reportedly invited police to search the vehicle, unlocking the doors.
During that search, officers reportedly came across a backpack on the front seat, with one of its front compartments open and two sandwich bags inside that also contained a substance thought to be marijuana. One of the officers reached for the bags, and reportedly felt what seemed to her like the butt of a gun through the backpack’s inner lining.
When asked George admitted that he did not have a license for the firearm, and he was arrested.
A forensics team was summoned and identified the gun as a Colt .38 Special six-cylinder revolver, which reportedly did not bear any serial number or other identifying information. The weapon was loaded with four live rounds, and an additional round of 9mm ammunition was found inside the backpack.
George was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. He was remanded into custody and appeared for his advice of rights hearing at the beginning of the week, before Magistrate Yolan Brow-Ross.
Details of Monday’s court appearance have not yet been made available to the public as of press time. George is next expected in court on December 6.
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