From left to right, mugshots of Ramon Mateo III and Califf J. Cassius. By. THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. CROIX — As two men face multiple felony charges for reportedly discharging multiple rounds from illegal firearms in Gallows Bay, details of the aftermath of the shooting emerge.
On Sunday night, police arrested Califf Cassius and Ramon Antonio Mateo III in the Clifton Hill area. The men, both wearing face coverings, had been tracked from Gallows Bay by multiple VIPD units after a police detective alerted the 911 Emergency Call Center that he had first heard multiple shots being fired and then encountered the blue Toyota Corolla the men were driving as they left the vicinity.
Now, documents submitted to court describe the aftermath of the incident. Police say that over 20 shell casings from both .223 and 9 mm caliber rounds were recovered along Green Street in Christiansted, where the detective first spotted Corolla. Several vehicles parked along the side of the street were also damaged.
One residence had a front window broken. Those living within were home at the time of the shooting, telling police that two bullets hit the window, punctured the screen and came to rest inside the residence.
Another house on Green Street bore suspected bullet gouge marks on the porch. A projectile was recovered from the balcony area of that residence, police say.
Neither man is licensed to carry a firearm or possess ammunition in the Virgin Islands. Further, Mateo was discovered to be a convicted felon, having been sentenced in December 2015 to consecutive terms of 12 and 4 years in prison for attempted murder and third-degree assault, respectively. As a result, possession of a firearm is a violation of his conditions of probation.
In court on Monday, Judge Ernest Morris Jr. adjusted bail to allow Mateo and Cassius to each post 10% of their $100,000 bail in cash, with the remaining $90,000 as an unsecured bond. If they are able to pay, each man will be confined to 24-hour house arrest. Mateo will be required to wear an electronic monitor, while Cassius will be allowed to complete his house arrest without such monitoring technology. However, prior to release, they must both each present the court with a suitable third party custodian.
The two men are next scheduled to appear in court on August 21.
