A 21-year-old man died early Sunday after a stolen Toyota Corolla crashed during a police pursuit on St. Thomas, the V.I. Police Department said. A second occupant was arrested at the scene.
The vehicle was connected to an armed robbery reported Friday at Splash and Dash Car Wash, where two masked men in black ordered victims to the ground and drove away in the tan Corolla, police said. Officers had been conducting surveillance in the Frenchtown to Crown Bay area as part of Operation Safe Communities in response to multiple robberies in the region.
On Sunday morning, police located the suspected stolen vehicle in Crown Bay. When officers attempted a traffic stop on Terrence A. Todman Drive, the driver initially stopped before accelerating away. The pursuit continued onto George Francis Drive, where the Corolla lost control, spun and collided with a police cruiser near Vitraco Park Mall.
Three people were inside the vehicle. One male exited from the passenger side, pointed a long gun at officers and fled on foot while armed, police said. The department did not identify this individual or confirm whether he was later apprehended.
A second occupant, identified as 21-year-old Danllerli Cabrera, attempted to flee but was apprehended. A firearm fell from his person during the escape. The third occupant suffered serious injuries in the collision and died. Police identified him as 21-year-old Adonai Cozier following family notification.
Officers recovered four firearms at the scene: three Glock handguns and an AR-15-style long gun. One of the handguns had been modified to enable fully automatic fire, police said.
Cabrera was treated for injuries and later booked on firearm and ammunition charges. Bail was set at $100,000. Unable to post bail, he was held pending an Advice of Rights hearing scheduled for Monday. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Bureau at 340-774-2211, Crime Stoppers VI at 800-222-TIPS, or other police numbers provided.
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