Stolen car tracked by iPhone app crashes into St. Thomas bar

A St. Thomas man was arrested early Sunday after stealing a car in Frenchtown and crashing it into a downtown bar, all while the vehicle's owner tracked him in real time using his iPhone.

Darrell Cassell, 24, of St. Thomas, was charged with grand larceny, unauthorized use of a vehicle, damaging or tampering with a vehicle, and destruction of property, according to police.

The incident began around 3 a.m. on Sunday when the owner of a white 2017 Nissan Altima discovered his car missing from outside Sambuca restaurant in Frenchtown, where he had left his smartphone inside. Rather than wait, he borrowed a friend's phone and used Apple's Find My app to locate his device, and his car. The GPS signal led him eastward across town toward the historic district near Emancipation Garden.

When the owner and his friend arrived at the 758 Bar and Restaurant, they found Cassell behind the wheel. According to a police affidavit, Cassell jumped out of the car and shouted aggressively toward the venue before climbing back in, accelerating onto the sidewalk, and driving directly into the bar's security gate and concrete wall. The impact crushed the front of the sedan and scattered debris across the pavement.

Security personnel and Waste Management enforcement officers held Cassell at the scene until police arrived. The vehicle owner told detectives he had never met Cassell and had not given him permission to use the car.

Cassell appeared before Magistrate Simone M. VanHolten-Turnbull on Monday for an Advice of Rights hearing. He was released on a 10% cash bond of $2,505 and is scheduled for arraignment on October 16.