Authorities have arrested 28-year-old Isaac Encarnacion on St. Croix, a fugitive from Virginia facing multiple sexual crime charges, Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced.
Encarnacion was taken into custody on Feb. 11, following a coordinated effort by the Virgin Islands Justice Department, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and the Virgin Islands Police Department. He was apprehended without incident while traveling westbound on Eastend Road near the Tide Village Service Station in a grey Toyota Tundra, according to the press release.
Encarnacion appeared before the Honorable Judge Yolan C. Brow Ross at the V.I. Superior Court for his Advice of Rights Hearing on Feb. 13. He was granted bail while awaiting extradition to Virginia, where authorities have confirmed their readiness to prosecute him, the press release stated.
According to a Probable Cause Affidavit, DOJ Territorial SORNA Investigator Shanavia Martin received a request for assistance on January 30, 2025, from Sergeant Julianna Hill of the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia regarding Encarnacion’s fugitive status. Virginia Judge Jeffrey Shaw had issued an arrest warrant for Encarnacion, who was believed to be residing with his wife and child in Christiansted, St. Croix. Surveillance conducted at the Sierra Verde residence confirmed his presence. Encarnacion is facing multiple charges in Mathews County, Virginia, including sodomy of a child under the age of 13, abduction with intent to defile, aggravated sexual battery of a child, cruelty to children, and indecent liberties with a child under age 15 by a stepparent. The alleged offenses occurred between August 29, 2022, and June 9, 2023.
Attorney General Rhea commended the law enforcement team involved in the arrest, including Criminal Division Chief Amie Simpson, DOJ Investigator Shanavia Martin, VIPD Sergeant Moses President, and members of the VIPD Rapid Intervention Team and Intel Unit. “The Attorney General’s office, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, remains committed to ensuring that individuals fleeing justice are quickly brought to account,” Rhea stated in a press release. “Encarnacion’s arrest is a testament to our ongoing efforts to protect the community and uphold the rule of law.”
