March 21, 2009 — Police are investigating a shooting in Frederiksted in which a 21-year-old man was killed, allegedly when trying to rob a St. Croix cab driver, according to the V.I. Police Department.
The name of the driver has been withheld pending completion of the investigation.
According to the preliminary report, Kyone Bazil was exiting a taxi van at 12:38 p.m. Saturday in the vicinity of Frederiksted when he brandished a handgun and demanded money from the driver. The driver gave Bazil cash, but then shot Bazil with his own licensed firearm.
Police arrived on the scene moments later and cordoned off the area.
Emergency Medical Technicians arrived at the scene and found the victim unresponsive.
The classification of this homicide will be determined by the Office of the Attorney General after the investigation.
Bazil was one of two men arrested Jan. 28 after robbing a restaurant-bar in Peter's Rest. He and the other suspect were released on bail — Bazil put up property as security — and was given permission to travel to Texas for National Guard training.
He had been scheduled for a June trial on charges of first-degree robbery, third-degree assault, brandishing a firearm, failure to report ammunition and unauthorized possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.
Bazil's co-suspect in the January crime, Luis Rivera, was also released on bail in that case. He was arrested Friday and charged with first degree robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a dangerous weapon during the commission of a crime of violence and brandishing and exhibiting or using a deadly weapon in connection with a robbery at Napoleon's Pizza in December.
Bail on the new charges was set at $100,000 pending his advice of rights hearing.
Bail restrictions were among the measures outlined Thursday by Gov. John de Jongh Jr to combat the recent crime surge in the territory. DeJongh has sought to increase and publicize restrictions for suspects awaiting trial and asked the community to report suspects in violation of the bail restrictions. The police will then pick up the suspect, who will await trial in jail. (See: "Outraged Governor Announces Anti-Crime Initiatives.")
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