Mugshot of Yariel Guerrero-Roble. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A man is facing felony charges after police conducting traffic enforcement on St. John found loaded magazines and a firearm inside a vehicle that was later determined to have an incorrect license plate.
Officers with the Special Operations Bureau were conducting traffic enforcement last Friday when they observed an Acura MDX with illegal window tint. After stopping the vehicle, officers approached and reportedly smelled the odor of marijuana, then asked the occupants to exit.
Once the driver and passenger were out of the Acura, police searched the vehicle and quickly found “several loaded magazines” in the center console. Officers also found a .45 caliber Glock 21 pistol fitted with an extended magazine.
The driver, Yariel Guerrero-Roble, claimed ownership of both the firearm and the ammunition, according to police. He was arrested and transported to the Richard Callwood Command police station on St. Thomas.
Further investigation revealed that the license plate on the Acura did not match the vehicle’s registration.
Guerrero-Roble was charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and unauthorized possession of ammunition. Unable to pay the initial bail requirement of $75,000, he was remanded into custody pending his advice of rights hearing.
On Monday, Magistrate Julie Smith-Todman found probable cause to uphold the charges against Guerrero-Roble. She reduced bail to $50,000, with $10,000 payable in cash to secure his release ahead of trial.
If released, Guerrero-Roble must report to the probation office in person each week and comply with an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily curfew. In addition to the standard bail restrictions, he is barred from all St. John Carnival activities. He is also banned from next year’s Carnival activities on St. Thomas if the case remains pending.
Guerrero-Roble’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 2.
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