One man was detained and two are scheduled to appear in District Court Thursday for detention hearings after they were arrested and charged in connection with a home invasion and carjacking on St. Croix, U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced.
Luis Davis, 30, Chriss Cepeda, 22, and Joel Rivera, 33, all of St. Croix, were arraigned Monday in the District Court on St. Croix.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of Sept. 10, 2017, the three men allegedly broke into the residence of Stephen O’Dea and Kathryn Duncan, pistol whipped Stephen O’Dea, kidnapped the two residents, and stole cash, cell phones, and vehicles.
The indictment against the three men charges the following:
Count I: Using a Firearm during Violent Crime (not less than 7 years);
Count II: Burglary in the First Degree (not less than 30 years);
Count III: Home Invasion (not less than 15 nor more than 20 years);
Count IV: Assault in the First Degree (not more than 15 years);
Count V: Carjacking (not more than 15 years);
Count VI: Kidnapping (not less than one nor more than 20 years);
Count VII: Kidnapping (not less than 1 nor more than 20 years);
Count VIII: Robbery in the First Degree (not more than 20 years);
Count IX: Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm (not less than 15 nor more than 20 years);
Count X: Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm (not less than 15 nor more than 20 years).
Davis also faces an additional count: Count XI: Felon in Possession of Firearm (not more than 10 years).
The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston.
Make an example of these animals! Problem is, locking them up and feeding them is too good for them. We can thank our lax (non-existent) law enforcement for the crime we experience in the Territory on a daily basis. They make a point of not showing up until they can be sure the culprits are long gone, and they don’t even accept video of the perpetrators as sufficient evidence to prosecute. Something smells about that. Law enforcement is a JOKE.