Jan. 2, 2009 — Police arrested three St. Thomas men Thursday morning on weapons-related charges and confiscated illegal weapons.
Officers confiscated an AK-47 assault rifle, a .357 magnum revolver and a handgun while responding to reports of shots fired shortly after midnight on New Year's Day. "Officers on patrol and investigating reports of shots fired came upon the illegal weapons and ammunition and recorded the three arrests." said St. Thomas-St. John Police Chief Rodney Querrard Sr. in an announcement.
Around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, officers arrested Alston Lambertis for possession of an unlicensed firearm and reckless endangerment, he said.
Residents of the Tutu Hi Rise community reported hearing shots fired and while investigating the officers saw Lambertis with a rifle-type weapon which turned out to be an assault rifle, an AK-47. Officers took Lambertis, a resident of Anna's Retreat, into custody. About an hour later, officers again responded to reports of shots fired in the area and saw an individual attempting to hide a weapon.
"The officers stepped up the inspection of the area and arrested Joseph Ferrari of Hidden Valley, charging him with possession of a .357 magnum revolver. He was formally charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm," Querrard said.
Around 5 a.m. Thursday, officers of the Special Operations Bureau arrested Hyram Graneau on charges of failure to report possession of ammunition.
"A further search of the immediate area where the arrest took place — a handgun was recovered," Querrard said, noting the investigation is continuing.
On Dec. 29, Charles Cardin, whose residence was not mentioned, was also arrested for possessing an unlicensed firearm. Officers recovered a .40 caliber handgun, a 9 mm pistol and a .25 caliber automatic weapon. Police said Cardin's arrest and the recovery of the weapons took place near the Weekend Bar and Grille in Fredenhoj. Four knives and 76 dime bags of marijuana were also confiscated from more than one individual in the general vicinity, along with undetermined quantities of marijuana in somewhat larger plastic bags.
"We continue to step up our initiatives and our officers will not be deterred in the effort to remove as many of these illegal weapons that are making their way on the streets and in the hands of those who seek to perpetrate violent crimes," Querrard said.
Anyone in the community with information about persons who are possessing illegal weapons are urged to call police immediately.
"Contact 911 to report any information which can support our efforts, and we commend those in our community who have already come forward with timely information," he said.
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