CRACKED CASE: St. Thomas Woman Extensively Details Market Square Car Arson After Being Confronted with Video
By JOHN McCARTHY / St. Croix Sun Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas woman already sitting in jail on unrelated matters has been slapped with felony arson charges after criminal investigators confronted her with surveillance footage showing her intentionally torching a luxury SUV in Market Square.
The suspect, Amanda D. Daniel, was formally arrested on Thursday, May 28, following a breakthrough interrogation at the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).
The Market Square Inferno
The investigation stems from a destructive fire on March 27, 2026, that completely consumed a black 2019 GMC Denali parked in the historic Market Square area of St. Thomas, endangering surrounding commercial properties and individuals nearby.
According to a probable cause fact sheet filed by veteran CIB Detective Brian Delano Bedminster, the case broke open on May 24, when a Port Authority officer received a critical tip from a confidential informant. The tip led authorities directly to a local building owner, who provided investigators with clear security camera footage of the incident via WhatsApp.
Upon a collaborative review of the footage by CIB detectives, investigators positively identified Daniel as the individual who walked up to the vehicle, opened the door, and deliberately ignited an object inside the cabin before the entire vehicle became engulfed in flames.
A Jailhouse Interrogation & A Wild Confession
Detectives initially launched a localized manhunt across St. Thomas to locate Daniel, searching several of her known island hangouts to no avail. The search ended abruptly when investigators checked internal logs and discovered that Daniel was already actively housed inside the Bureau of Corrections on independent charges.
Daniel was signed out of the prison facility on May 28 and brought to the CIB headquarters for questioning. Facing Detective Bedminster and Detective Yordona Loblack, Daniel initially denied any involvement in the March inferno.
However, the tone of the interrogation shifted rapidly when detectives asked Daniel how she would explain her actions if they produced clear video evidence of her at the scene. Daniel immediately changed her stance and confessed on a recorded line that she was the sole arsonist.
Upon being shown the security footage, Daniel identified herself on screen and walked detectives through the mechanics of the crime. She detailed how she first lit the interior roof liner of the GMC Denali before opening the rear trunk area to specifically allow oxygen to feed the flames and ensure the fire spread comprehensively throughout the vehicle.
Nicknames and a Roadway Assault
Daniel’s voluntary statement also exposed a strange cast of characters present during the crime. While she claimed she did not know their legal names, she identified five onlookers by their street nicknames: "Rasco," "Hank," "Lana," "Birdie," and "Giovany."
She further described an additional unidentified accomplice as a "man with a black mask with bowleg who had the gas bottle inside the jeep." Daniel claimed that while these individuals did not actively participate in setting the fire, a dispute erupted immediately after the vehicle exploded into flames, resulting in "Hank" chasing her down the public road and physically assaulting her.
Daniel has been charged with Second-Degree Arson and Malicious Destruction of Property. Assistant Attorney General Brenda Scales approved the charges, and Daniel was remanded back to the Bureau of Corrections pending her Friday morning arraignment.
