VIPD: St. Croix man arrested after reported Richmond firearm incident

ST. CROIX — Samuel Rivera Jr., 29, was arrested after a reported shots-fired incident in Richmond on July 26, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department.

VIPD said officers were dispatched about 6:46 a.m. to the Richmond area near Ebenezer Methodist Church, where they encountered two men and reported seeing one with a gun. Police said Rivera was detained after entering a residence while officers sought a telephonic search warrant.

After the warrant was authorized, officers recovered a firearm and shell casings from the residence, VIPD said. Rivera was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, possession of an unlicensed firearm and escape from custody.

Police said Rivera was taken for medical evaluation after reporting chest pain and later left custody at Juan F. Luis Hospital before turning himself in at the Ancilmo Marshall Command Police Station. Bail was set at $30,000, and he was remanded to the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility pending an advice-of-rights hearing, according to VIPD.

Source: Virgin Islands Police Department