Attempted Escape During Traffic Stop Leads to Firearm and Drug Charges for St. Croix Man

ST. CROIX — A 21-year-old man who tried to flee the scene of a traffic stop was arrested after police reportedly found a firearm and ammunition in his backpack. According to court documents, on Wednesday, officers on mobile patrol spotted a white pickup driving west down the Limetree Bay Terminal road. Neither driver (later identified as Jahnigh Gonsalves) nor passenger were wearing seatbelts, and so police initiated a traffic stop. Upon approaching the vehicle, officers noticed, along with the strong odor of marijuana, a purple backpack on the seat next to Gonsalves. He told them the backpack was his, but he did not answer questions about what was inside. The officers informed Gonsalves and his passenger that they would check the vehicle to ensure that they were not carrying more than the legal amount of cannabis. That's when Gonsalves reportedly tried to flee the scene, attempting to put the vehicle in gear and drive away. This reportedly prompted a scuffle with one officer, while...