Entrance leading to the St. Croix Gastroenterology Center in Herman Hill. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS CONSORTIUM
The Virgin Islands Police Department was on the scene at the St. Croix Gastroenterology Center in Herman Hill monitoring what was believed to be an active bomb threat Tuesday afternoon and into the evening time. V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer Toby Derima confirmed the matter.
The bomb threat alleged that the explosive device was placed inside the Gastroenterology Center, a facility owned by Dr. Raymond Cintron, prompting the immediate evacuation of the facility of both employees and patients, Dr. Cintron told the Consortium.
Mr. Derima said the threat stated that the bomb would go off at 2:00 p.m., but as of 7:23 p.m. there were no reports of an explosion at the medical facility and police had cleared the area.
A statement on the V.I.P.D.'s Facebook page reads, "There was a bomb threat called in to a local business in Herman Hill, St. Croix earlier today. VIPD responded, evacuating the facility and closing the nearby roads. The VIPD’s Bomb Disposal Unit, along with agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who brought an explosive-sniffing dog, swept the location.
"No explosive devices were found, and the “All Clear” was given, and the roads were reopened."
Dr. Cintron told the Consortium it was the first time that a bomb threat had been reported at his facility, so the matter was being taken seriously. He said he was performing work in his office taking care of patients when the bomb threat came in.
"I'm back in the hospital because we have a couple of sick patients I'm working on, so I left my secretary there to see what's going on. It's the first time this happened to me," he said.
The V.I.P.D. had blocked the road heading to the Gastroenterology Center on both ends of the road, and traffic was being controlled all the way in Golden Rock near the One Love Gas Station. But the V.I.P.D. deescalated its presence at about 7:00 p.m. At about 6:30 p.m. officers were still on the scene.
Correction: April 13, 2021 at 4:20 p.m.
A previous version of the article stated Dr. Cintron's facility to be in nearby Catherine's Rest, but the location is Herman Hill. We've updated the story to reflect the correct information
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