Feb. 3, 2009 — A second suspect was arrested Monday and charged with murder in the first degree in the death of 19-year-old George Ronald Simpson, who died from gunshot wounds suffered in the parking lot of the Lorraine Village Apartments on Jan. 23.
Jamal Rivera, 23, of Estate Grove Place, was arrested Monday, Feb. 2, at around 3:30 p.m. and charged with the murder of Simpson. Rivera also had been arrested earlier in the day and charged with a separate shooting that occurred Jan. 11 at the Consumer Gas Station on St. Croix. In that case Rivera was charged with assault in the first degree for firing gunshots in the direction of a male who was sitting in a vehicle. No one was injured in that shooting.
On the night of the Jan. 23 shooting, police arrested Adrian Benjamin, 24 of Mutual Homes Housing Community, and charged him with murder in the first degree and reckless endangerment.
On Jan. 23, police responded to a call of shots fired in Mutual Homes at about 9:30 p.m. Minutes later another call reported shots fired at Lorraine Village Homes. Simpson died at the scene and five victims were treated for non-life-threatening injuries at the Juan F. Luis Hospital.
On the day of the shooting, Acting Police Chief Oakland Benta said more arrests would be made in this case. He also said the community was very cooperative, providing police with descriptions of the suspects and a possible motive for the shootings.
Anyone with additional information on the shooting can call Benta at 778-2211, police emergency 911, or Crime Stoppers USVI at 1-800-222-TIPS. Those with information also can visit the Crimestoppers website and submit an anonymous tip online.
