The St. Croix Special Operation Bureau had a busy weekend, running a pair of proactive saturated patrols that resulted in the confiscation of a firearm, seizure of drugs and several stolen vehicles, the V.I. Police Department reported
“The SOB is comprised of highly trained officers who conduct surveillance, gather intelligence and execute arrests," according to acting St. Croix Chief of Police James Parris. "The team will remain visible in high crime areas as a proactive measure against crime.”
On Friday officers conducting a foot patrol in the Harbor View Housing Community confiscated a deadly weapon and several bags of marijuana. At about 6:40 p.m. they saw a man, later identified as Iko Matthais, loitering near an abandoned vehicle. One officer noticed a weapon tucked in Matthais’s pants, the police said. WhenMatthais saw the officers he began to run, but was caught a short while later. The weapon was found in the same area. Police also found four dime bags of what was field tested to be marijuana in Matthais possession and he was placed under arrest. He was charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, failure to report a firearm purchased outside or brought into the Virgin Islands, and simple possession of a controlled substance.
Saturday officers of the Special Operations Bureau were conducting a saturated patrol at about 7:45 p.m. the Frederiksted town area when they smelled the odor of marijuana and saw a man acting suspiciously. The officers saw the man throw an object away when he noticed the officers. Officers approached him and asked what the object he through away was. The man, later identified as Leddil Williams, replied that it was a marijuana joint. Officers searched Williams and found a bottle with six dime bags of marijuana – 20 grams – in his pants pocket.
Williams was arrested and placed on a $10,000 bail.
Acting Chief Parris said, “As we approach the holiday season it’s imperative that the community feels protected against those who seek to take what others have worked hard to obtain.”
