A 16-year-old has received a 17-year prison sentence for shooting and killing St. Croix entertainer Jordan "Dutty Heart" Jones in broad daylight on the Christiansted Boardwalk.
Angelo Javier Carmona was 15 when he fired multiple rounds at the 28-year-old comedian on June 4, 2025. He pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of ammunition under a plea deal negotiated with the Virgin Islands Department of Justice in August. Superior Court Judge Venetia Harvey Velazquez imposed the sentence on Tuesday.
The shooting took place along the Christiansted waterfront, a busy area where locals, cruise ship visitors and restaurant patrons gather. Police reports indicate that Carmona confronted Jones near the boardwalk, drew a handgun and fired at close range. Jones fell on the wooden planks and was transported to Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital, where he died.
Detectives arrested Carmona within hours. Prosecutors sought to try him as an adult, and a Superior Court judge approved the transfer on June 25, 2025. He was held at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility under a $500,000 cash bond.
Carmona initially faced first-degree murder charges, which carry a mandatory sentence of life without parole. The plea agreement allowed prosecutors to drop that charge in exchange for guilty pleas to voluntary manslaughter, a 10-year statutory term, and ammunition possession, an additional consecutive 7-year term. Carmona will complete his sentence at Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility, with credit for time served since his June 2025 arrest.
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