Sept. 30, 2005 – The V.I. Police Department's Criminal Investigation Bureau Thursday reported arresting one murder suspect while a second one remains at large.
Officers arrested Elton K. Stanley and charged him with the murder of James Ballantine. Ballantine was murdered on Sept. 17 in Estate Catherine's Rest.
According to a press release, Stanley was arrested without incident, as he attempted to flee from an unoccupied Estate Humbug residence.
The arrest warrant, signed by Maria M. Cabret, the presiding judge of the Superior Court, charges Stanley with murder and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a crime of violence.
Bail was set at $500,000. Information received from concerned citizens, according to the press release, contributed immensely to the investigation of this case.
The VIPD is continuing its search for murder suspect Stephen Hodge. He is wanted for the murder of Marcelino Rivera Jr., which occurred on Sept. 10 in Estate Profit. A second victim, a female, also sustained gunshot wounds in that incident.
Hodge is considered armed and dangerous. He is known to frequent the areas of Estate Profit, Harvey Project, Aureo Diaz Housing, Ralph De Chabert Housing, and Christiansted town by the area of the cemetery.
He is described as a 22-year-old black male, with brown eyes, and weighs about 125 pounds. His right arm is disfigured from a badly healed fracture and he has a tattoo of cross with lion and "Selassi" on his right hand.
The V.I. Police Department also has secured a warrant for the arrest of Shawnie Benjamin, charging her with assaulting Jennifer Stanley on Sept. 22, 2005 in Estate Grove Place.
Benjamin frequents the Grove Place and surrounding areas of Lorraine Village apartments and Mutual Homes.
She is described as a 19 year-old black female, brown eyes, who wears her hair in locks and weighs about 120 pounds.
Anyone found to be assisting any wanted person for whom the VIPD has announced an arrest warrant, will face criminal charges.
The V.I. Police Department is appealing to the public to call 778-2211 with any information that may assist in the apprehension of these suspects.
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