In St.Croix, Virgin Islands Police are investigating a heinous crime, a shooting that claimed the life of a woman when a stray bullet entered her bedroom.
It has the VI Police Commissioner Designee absolutely fed up, devastated, and vowing to shake things up in the territory in order to get violent criminals off the streets.
“This too has to stop, it must stop.”
You could hear the heartbreak and frustration in the voice of VIPD Commissioner Designee Ray Martinez as he detailed the latest deadly shooting in St. Croix, “An innocent young lady lost her life when a stray bullet entered her bedroom and took her life, one bullet, she had nothing to do with this violent incident.”
The victim is identified as Stacie Schjang, 46.
Investigators believe she died instantaneously when people in two vehicles opened fire outside, and a stray bullet went through the window of the bedroom of her castle Coakley/Peter’s Rest home, and hit her in the upper body.
VI Police recovered several shell casings at the scene.
Commissioner Martinez spoke with her family, “But what do I say? What can any of us say to her family, to her loved ones, to her friends, her co-workers? Nothing. There’s nothing that we can say, we offer condolences, but there’s nothing that we can truly say because there’s nothing that can bring her back.”
And it’s having to look into the eyes of loved ones left behind, that has Martinez and St. Croix Police Chief Sean Santos, sending a stern message and vowing to do more, “I’ve got a whole different mindset right now and the mindset is that of shaking things up,” said Martinez. “It’s a very simple message to the guys and girls out here who choose to be on the wrong side of the law, ‘We are coming to get you,” Martinez continued.
“I got my marching orders from the Police Commissioner so we’re going to go out there and do what we have to do, you have tinted windshields you’re getting stopped. The ‘broken windows theory,’ we’re going to come back with it because apparently this is what needs to be done in order to stop this,” said Chief Santos.
While police will do more, St. Croix Chief Detective, Lieutenant Naomi Joseph is asking for the community’s help as well, “The community is a bigger police force and if you work with us we can stop more, so I’m pleading with you to assist us and this matter. If you have security surveillance cameras on your business, we need your footage, if you have it on your home we need your footage,” said Lt. Joseph.
St. Croix police are specifically looking for a white car that was involved in the shooting, and any security footage from the Castle Coakely/Peter’s Rest area. As well as any helpful information from anyone who was in that area or on Queen Mary Highway around that time and may have saw something, from the hours of around 8:00 a.m. to 8:15 a.m..
This crime comes after the week prior, on January 17th, two 17-year-olds were ambushed, shot and killed in a vehicle in St. Croix.
And in St. Thomas, five people were shot one man killed, while innocently enjoying a night out at a bar. Someone pulled up in a car and opened fire, causing people to run for cover.
And for the triggermen behind these guns, Commissioner Martinez is not mincing any words, “These bunch of punks on our streets that continue to carry out these acts, it’s high time that we cut them off at the knees, high time.”
If you have information on Schjang’s killing, or any crime, you’re asked to call 911, the Crime TipLine at (340) 778-4950, or Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-TIPS or online at p3tips.com.
In Schjang’s case, there is a hefty $250,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
