A 21-year-old man charged in connection with a St. John armed robbery in May 2023 had a new set of charges brought against him. According to a report filed with the Superior Court, the defendant tangled with police as they tried to arrest him Saturday morning near the Cruz Bay Dock.
According to a statement issued by the Virgin Islands Police Department, the May 18 armed robbery of the St. John Bracelet Company left the shopkeeper injured with a gunshot wound to the face. Residents and merchants in Cruz Bay implored police to solve the crime.
Investigators pressed their investigation, leading to authorization for an arrest warrant for Jamari Gumbs. Gumbs was described in the VIPD statement as being one of two people seen entering the jewelry store on the day of the shooting and robbery.
A member of the VIPD Investigations Bureau picked up the warrant on Friday, court documents said. Officers from the Leander Jurgens Command in Cruz Bay made contact with the suspect at the public ferry dock the following day.
“The defendant was advised by the officers that there was a warrant for his arrest. The defendant refused to comply with the officers. The officers continued to advise the defendant to place his hands behind his back, however, he refused to comply. The officers then attempted to place the defendant under arrest, but the defendant continued to resist arrest by pulling and tugging away from the officers, causing the officers to use force,” said a report filed with the court.
Gumbs was subdued and transported to the police station, along with a backpack he had with him at the dock. When officers inspected the bag, they found a handgun and several rounds of ammunition.
At an advice of rights hearing held Monday, Magistrate Paula Norkadis upheld a long list of criminal offenses, including illegal weapons possession, assaulting an officer and interfering with officers discharging their duties; attempted murder, first-degree robbery, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting first-, second-and third-degree robbery.
Bail for Gumbs was set at $250,000. He was assigned a court-appointed public defender and remanded to the Criminal Justice Complex, pending further court action.
