Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the Feb. 26, 2021 shooting death of Kevin Jerome of Williams Delight on St. Croix, the V.I. Police Department reported Thursday.
According to a police report at the time, the 911 emergency call center was notified of shots fired and a man down on Main Street in Williams Delight at 9:57 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2021. Officers discovered a Black man with a gunshot wound to the head, and an older model SUV with multiple bullet holes.
The victim, later identified as Jerome, was transported to the Gov. Juan F. Luis Memorial Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
Following a police investigation, the V.I. Supreme Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Ian Benjamin Jr. and Darren Bess.
Benjamin was arrested without incident on Friday and released on Monday on an unsecured bond to the custody of his mother, according to the report. Bess was arrested on Wednesday in Placer County, California, where he has been detained pending his extradition to the U.S. Virgin Islands, it said.
According to the police, Benjamin killed Jerome with a firearm he used in crimes tied to him before and after the murder and he was subsequently arrested with the weapon in his possession.
Anyone with information about this case or any other crime should contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.crimestoppersvi.org or www.P3Tips.com, or the VIPD tip line at 340-778-4950.
