Man arrested after $1,900 hardware haul at St. Thomas store

Police arrested a man Thursday afternoon as he wheeled merchandise worth nearly $1,900 out of Home Depot on St. Thomas, with store staff and a passing officer working together to stop him at the rear of the property.

John Strain, Jr., also known in court records as Jon Braxton Strain, Jr., faced felony charges of grand larceny and possession of stolen property valued at $500 or more when he appeared before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Simone M. VanHolten-Turnbull on Friday morning.

A loss-prevention worker spotted Strain loitering near Aisle 45 around 12:30 p.m. on October 15, according to a police report. Store staff recognised him as someone who had previously left with unpaid items. When Strain pushed a loaded cart toward the garden centre exit, Assistant Manager Jacobs France asked him for a receipt. Strain ignored the request and proceeded outside with the cart.

Employee Destin Thompson called 911 as Strain exited. Officer Vernon Carr, who had arrived at the store on unrelated business, was flagged down by Thompson and drove to the rear of the property, where he found Strain near storage trailers with the cart. A second person, identified as Clayton Boyce, was observed driving away from the loading dock in a blue Ford Explorer.

The cart held two Echo 59cc Timberwolf gas chainsaws, one Echo cordless chainsaw kit, one 20-gallon electric water heater, and a 20-ounce bottle of Sprite. Store records showed a total loss of $1,898.98.

Strain's criminal history includes at least 14 arrest cycles dating to June 1987, with charges in the Virgin Islands for burglary, grand larceny, and unlawful entry, as well as Miami-Dade County convictions for cocaine purchase, burglary tools possession, and petit theft.

In July 2022, Strain was arrested in similar circumstances after being caught removing an industrial manlift and other equipment from Crown Bay. He was charged with felony possession of stolen property but pleaded guilty in October 2023 to the reduced misdemeanor charge of petit larceny before Superior Court Judge Sigrid M. Tejo. He received a 9-month sentence with full credit for time served and was released.