Dec. 4, 2007 — Akeel Codrington, 19, is expected to be charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 16 shooting of Carlos Aguilar, a 52-year-old St. Thomas architect.
Aguilar died Oct. 25, 10 days after being shot twice in the back after chasing a car he believed was connected to a burglary at his East End home.
Codrington has been detained since Oct. 22, when he was arrested and charged with third-degree burglary, grand larceny, possession of stolen property and failure to possess a V.I. driver's license in connection with the same incident.
Though the paperwork is not expected to be filed until Friday, a news release was sent to local media Tuesday saying Codrington had been charged with first-degree murder.
The release was sent "prematurely," said Wayne Anderson, assistant to Attorney General Vincent Frazer, on Tuesday.
An informed source said Tuesday that the paperwork is being prepared and the charges against Codrington are fully expected to be upgraded to first-degree murder.
On Oct. 16, Aguilar's security company called him to his home, which he discovered had been burglarized.
Later, as his wife spoke with police, Aguilar saw a suspicious red vehicle turn onto a private road adjacent to his driveway. Suspecting the car might be connected to the burglary, Aguilar got into his car and followed the red vehicle.
Minutes later, on Smith Bay Road near Sapphire Beach, Aguilar's car struck the rear of the red vehicle. The red vehicle lost control, struck a barrier and was disabled.
Aguilar got out of his car, but when he saw someone get out of the red vehicle with a gun, he returned to his car and got back in. The gunman then shot Aguilar twice in the back, according to witnesses, piercing his midsection.
Aguilar was taken to Schneider Regional Medical Center, where he later died. A television and other items stolen from Aguilar's residence were found in the red vehicle.
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