COURT DOCKET EXCLUSIVE: St. Thomas Man Arrested in Savan After Shots Fired Near Elementary School, Claims Gun Was Found in Gut
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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COURT DOCKET EXCLUSIVE: St. Thomas Man Arrested in Savan After Shots Fired Near Elementary School, Claims Gun Was Found in Gut

St. Thomas resident J'Hmkai M. Boyd was arrested Friday afternoon in Savan after a report of shots fired led detectives to discover a loaded silver-and-black Astra pistol in his waistband. Court documents show Boyd was carrying the weapon within 415 feet of the Jane E. Tuitt Elementary School, claiming to officers he found it in the gut.

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STX SUN WEATHER BRIEFING: Saharan Dust Shield Triggers Extreme Heat, Choppy Seas Across USVI
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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STX SUN WEATHER BRIEFING: Saharan Dust Shield Triggers Extreme Heat, Choppy Seas Across USVI

On the GOES-19 satellite imagery we can see that a massive, thick blanket of gray Saharan dust is sitting heavily over the Atlantic, pushing right towards the northeastern Caribbean. It acts like a literal shield, choking out any major storm development and keeping everything dry, hazy, and hot. Meanwhile, a tropical wave is clearly visible, tracking safely and far to our south over the South American mainland.

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THE COLD, HARD TRUTH: Street Justice Outpaces VIPD as 2026 Homicides Remain Unsolved
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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THE COLD, HARD TRUTH: Street Justice Outpaces VIPD as 2026 Homicides Remain Unsolved

A grueling independent audit of the territory’s 2026 bloodshed reveals an indictment-level reality for the Virgin Islands Police Department. Of the 17 homicides recorded across St. Croix and St. Thomas this year, the VIPD’s Criminal Investigation Bureau has achieved a near-total blackout on proactive arrests—leaving grieving families waiting on an agency that seems far more adept at riding around in air-conditioned SUVs than solving capital crimes.

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‘SKELETON BRIDGE’: Tourism Negligence Claims Life of 21-Year-Old in Unregulated 'Rope Jumping' Excursion
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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‘SKELETON BRIDGE’: Tourism Negligence Claims Life of 21-Year-Old in Unregulated 'Rope Jumping' Excursion

A devastating incident at the "Skeleton Bridge" in São Paulo, Brazil, has exposed the lethal dangers of unregulated adventure tourism. The tragic death of 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas—witnessed by her fiancé—serves as a stark, urgent cautionary tale for Caribbean tourism hubs where extreme excursions operate under the illusion of digital-age safety.

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COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL FELONY SEXUAL CONTACT CHARGE DROPPED IN ‘FOOD VAN’  ARREST
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL FELONY SEXUAL CONTACT CHARGE DROPPED IN ‘FOOD VAN’ ARREST

While a VIPD public notice highlighted a major "sexual assault investigation" stemming from a March incident at Waffle Burger in Christiansted, newly obtained Superior Court dockets tell a completely different story. Discover how the state's highest felony charge was quietly thrown out by a judge for a lack of probable cause before an arrest was even made, leaving the defendant facing only minor misdemeanors.

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THE INTERSTELLAR CONVEYOR: How an Atmospheric Engine Deflects Mainland Storms and Drops a Dust Blanket on St. Croix
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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THE INTERSTELLAR CONVEYOR: How an Atmospheric Engine Deflects Mainland Storms and Drops a Dust Blanket on St. Croix

Using NOAA’s latest GOES-19 satellite imagery, the Sun News Weather Desk breaks down how a massive Atlantic high-pressure engine is driving Saharan dust directly over our beaches. Discover how the Caribbean's weather remains deeply connected to the U.S. mainland this weekend, keeping storm fronts safely at bay while locking in a hazy, breezy, and sun-drenched summer sizzle.

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RED, WHITE, AND BLUE FLAIR: Pochettino’s Squad Ignites World Cup Fever with Historic 4-1 Statement
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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RED, WHITE, AND BLUE FLAIR: Pochettino’s Squad Ignites World Cup Fever with Historic 4-1 Statement

Over 30 years after hosting its first World Cup, the USMNT ignited a national fever pitch with a historic 4-1 dismantling of Paraguay in LA. Behind a brilliant 26-pass stoppage-time goal and a Balogun brace, this squad is playing with a "Miracle on Ice" level of team chemistry that has the country believing a legendary run is underway.

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WEEKEND BEACH ALERT: DPNR SHUTS DOWN HULL BAY OVER SEWAGE BACTERIA SPIKE WHILE ST. CROIX SAMPLES ARE COMPLETELY ABANDONED
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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WEEKEND BEACH ALERT: DPNR SHUTS DOWN HULL BAY OVER SEWAGE BACTERIA SPIKE WHILE ST. CROIX SAMPLES ARE COMPLETELY ABANDONED

An urgent environmental health alert tracking the Department of Planning and Natural Resources' latest coastal water quality monitoring logs . While eighteen territory shorelines successfully passed statutory safety metrics , a severe bacterial contamination spike has closed a major northern St. Thomas surf hub —and an administrative blackout has left the entire island of St. Croix completely unmonitored ahead of the weekend.

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SPACEX’S HISTORIC $1.77 TRILLION IPO UNLEASHES NEW TECH HEGEMONY IN CARIBBEAN BASIN
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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SPACEX’S HISTORIC $1.77 TRILLION IPO UNLEASHES NEW TECH HEGEMONY IN CARIBBEAN BASIN

A hard-hitting investigative report tracking the regional fallout of SpaceX’s historic $75 billion public debut on the Nasdaq. As Elon Musk ascends as the world’s first paper trillionaire with a staggering $1.77 trillion corporate valuation, the St. Croix Sun News pulls the federal dockets to expose the quiet infrastructure hegemony anchoring itself across the Caribbean Basin—and the steep environmental trade-offs left in its wake.

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STRANGLED, BLEEDING, AND THREATENED WITH DEATH: St. Croix Man Hunted To Gas Station After Reign of Terror Unleashed on Mother of His Children
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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STRANGLED, BLEEDING, AND THREATENED WITH DEATH: St. Croix Man Hunted To Gas Station After Reign of Terror Unleashed on Mother of His Children

A physical altercation over an infant falling from a bed escalated into a violent chokehold and a public manhunt on St. Croix. Kenrick "Kenny" Duinkerk, 34, was tracked down and arrested by VIPD officers at a local gas station after allegedly strangling and threatening to kill the mother of his children. Duinkerk was remanded to the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility and dragged into the Superior Court in Kingshill for his Advice of Rights hearing. Read the full direct-to-dockets breakdown of the domestic violence charges, the victim's documented injuries, and the suspect's criminal history.

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Busy Burglar Blends in Windward Passage Arrest; Stolen Seafood Distributed Locally: COURT WATCH
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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Busy Burglar Blends in Windward Passage Arrest; Stolen Seafood Distributed Locally: COURT WATCH

A St. Thomas man with a history of theft is back in custody after allegedly targeting a local restaurant twice in one week. Police tracked the suspect to the Windward Passage Hotel, but not before the stolen bounty of lobster, shrimp, and steak was reportedly distributed throughout the local community. Here is the breakdown of the latest Court Watch.

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THE PRICE OF BETRAYAL: Former OMB Director Jenifer O’Neal Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for COVID-Relief Fraud Scheme
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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THE PRICE OF BETRAYAL: Former OMB Director Jenifer O’Neal Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for COVID-Relief Fraud Scheme

Former Virgin Islands Budget Director Jenifer O’Neal has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney. The British Virgin Islands native was convicted of exploiting her cabinet-level position to divert emergency ARPA COVID-19 relief funds to pay off private commercial debts for her St. Thomas coffee shop, Java Grande, and accepting luxury gifts from a government contractor.

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From the Nightclub Shadows to Federal Fentanyl Rings: The Escalating Criminal Ledger of Mario Felix
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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From the Nightclub Shadows to Federal Fentanyl Rings: The Escalating Criminal Ledger of Mario Felix

A St. Croix Sun News Investigative Feature — From a chaotic 2019 pre-dawn shootout at Five Corners to a high-stakes federal fentanyl postal smuggling ring, the criminal trajectory of Mario Ronaldo Felix spans decades of local and federal dockets. We unearth the hidden paper trail behind the local court dismissals that paved the way for his major federal guilty plea this week.
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VIPD Corruption: Former Commissioner Ray Martinez Gets 10 Years
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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VIPD Corruption: Former Commissioner Ray Martinez Gets 10 Years

Former Virgin Islands Police Commissioner Ray Martinez has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. A federal judge ordered the sentence following Martinez's conviction for a public corruption scheme involving bribery, honest services wire fraud, and obstruction of justice linked to tech contractor Mon Ethos.

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🐙 Welcome to the Octopus’s Garden: Today’s Atmospheric Tug-of-War
John McCarthy John McCarthy
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🐙 Welcome to the Octopus’s Garden: Today’s Atmospheric Tug-of-War

An atmospheric tug-of-war is unfolding directly over the U.S. Virgin Islands. A massive Saharan Air Layer (SAL) plume—resembling a beige octopus across the Atlantic—is currently capping our heat and suppressing storm development. However, deep tropical moisture from the south and an aggressive upper-level trough from the northwest are moving in for an atmospheric collision. Dive into our full NOAA satellite breakdown to see when the "dust lid" pops and why Thursday is shaping up to be a total washout for St. Croix.

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