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HomeNewsLocal newsCrimestoppers Tip Leads to Arrest of Third Suspect in Carjacking/Rape

Crimestoppers Tip Leads to Arrest of Third Suspect in Carjacking/Rape

Hubert Wyliss Lee Jr.
Hubert Wyliss Lee Jr.

Hubert Wyliss Lee Jr., the third suspect in the May 6 carjacking and rape of a young woman on St. Croix’s east end, was arrested Monday by law enforcement officers in North Carolina acting on a tip from the anonymous Crime Stoppers USVI service.

According to the V.I. Police Department, the 22-year-old Lee – also known as “Blackest” – was arrested pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by a U.S., Virgin Islands Superior Court Magistrate. The warrant charges Lee with lee is charged with first-degree rape, kidnapping for rape, false imprisonment, first-degree assault, third-degree assault, carrying or using a dangerous weapon during a commission of a crime, unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and first-degree robbery.

Lee was apprehended by the U.S. Marshal Service in North Carolina and is now in custody at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office awaiting extradition to St.Croix.

He is a suspect in connection to the East End Road carjacking/rape the took place May 6. The 911 emergency call center received a report at approximately 11:36 p.m. in reference to a carjacking on the Eastern Road, Christiansted. The first victim called 911 and said she had been traveling with a friend when a vehicle started hitting them from behind causing them to stop. They were separated and her friend was taken by the individuals to another location.

The second victim later was able to contact 911. She reported she had been sexually assaulted. The victim was then transported to the Juan F. Luis Hospital for examination.

The VIPD said a tip from Crime Stoppers USVI resulted in Lee’s apprehension. Those who call the Crimestopper’s hotline at 1-800-222-8477 or who use the online site at http://www.crimestoppersvi.org/ can have their anonymity protected, and can be eligible for rewards. The service does not ask for the caller’s name. The person calling is issued a PIN, or personal identification number. They can then check back on the status of their tip without having to provide a name. If a tip leads to an arrest, the recovery of stolen property, or illegal drugs or weapons being seized, then the caller will be eligible for a reward. Together, the caller and Crimestoppers will agree on a location that is both secure and anonymous for delivery of a cash reward.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Corruption aside, new companies and new residents are unlikely to settle in St. Croix if there is a perception of runaway crime and corruption. Some new islanders, like me and my wife, believe that justice will prevail.

    We are betting on it. We are taking a chance.

    Those arrested should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and, if found guilty, convicted and sentenced without hesitation in the harshest ways possible.

    On the U.S. mainland back in the days of the Old West (1800’s, mostly) there way a saying: “There’s a New Sheriff in Town.” This phrase came to mean that outlaws and scofflaws better take notice because their days of misdeeds are at an end.

    We hope that Soraya Diase Coffelt can be that new Sheriff as St. Croix’s new governor.

    We hope so – we are betting on it!!!

  2. I visited St Croix in 2014 and spent 2 weeks on the Island along with 4 others as a group retreat and winter break. I was thinking of moving to the island to buy property, and had high hopes.

    We got to our condo and the first thing I noticed was a gated parking area, and steel bars on all doors and windows.

    We had good times on the beach, and had many nice times with residents and other tourists, especially at Shoys.

    We witnessed some petty crime, but I was not concerned until one of the bartenders in Christiansted told us she was held up at gun point walking home at night.

    Other residents advised us to not go in a large group of neighborhoods after dark.

    We rented cars and drove extensively around the island to get a sense of how people live.

    I’m sorry to say I could not move to St Croix given the level of crime, burglary, and assaults reported on a regular basis, and I also base that on some things we observed driving around.

  3. St. Croix Source is an excellent outlet for local news and information. There are other outlets centered around the northern and eastern Caribbean Islands as well. Crime in the Islands appears to be mostly gang and drug related. I too heard stories and read police reports about crimes committed. There are similar statistics in many mainland inner cities and outlying suburbs. People committing these crimes probably aren’t thinking about the terrible toll taken from the reputation of the island. USVI government needs to understand that in order to attract new business and talent to the Islands, it needs to get it’s financial house in order and do a better job of providing safety for it’s residents. When crimes are committed and perps are caught, the hammer of justice must be laid down hard and fast. Examples must be made. Government should also make efforts to improve education and training at all levels. It’s not enough to catch and prosecute bad guys and increase police presence. Young Virgin Islanders, especially, need to be shown paths to success and ways out of desperate socioeconomics in which many find themselves. Can it be done? Only time will tell.