Three St. Croix Men Indicted after Home Invasion and Carjacking

St. Croix, USVI –One man was detained and two are scheduled to appear in District Court on September 27, 2018 for detention hearings after they were arrested and charged in connection with a home invasion and carjacking on St. Croix, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Luis Davis, 30, Chriss Cepeda, 22, and Joel Rivera, 33, all of St. Croix, were arraigned in the District Court on St. Croix on September 24, 2018.

According to court documents, in the early morning hours of September 10, 2017, the three men allegedly broke into the residence of Stephen O’Dea and Kathryn Duncan, pistol whipped Stephen O’Dea, kidnapped the two residents, and stole cash, cell phones, and vehicles.

The indictment against the three men charges the following:

Count I: Using a Firearm during Violent Crime (not less than 7 years);

Count II: Burglary in the First Degree (not less than 30 years);

Count III: Home Invasion (not less than 15 nor more than 20 years);

Count IV: Assault in the First Degree (not more than 15 years);

Count V: Carjacking (not more than 15 years);

Count VI: Kidnapping (not less than 1 nor more than 20 years);

Count VII: Kidnapping (not less than 1 nor more than 20 years);

Count VIII: Robbery in the First Degree (not more than 20 years);

Count IX: Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm (not less than 15 nor more than 20 years);

Count X: Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm (not less than 15 nor more than 20 years);

Davis also faces an additional count:

Count XI: Felon in Possession of Firearm (not more than 10 years).

United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston.