March 30 | 2:20 p.m.
The Virgin Islands Police Department has confirmed the homicide victim, who was identified by next of kin as 20-year-old Sijah Benjamin.
March 21 | 9:24 p.m.
A robbery suspect met his demise Saturday at the hands of his intended victim, following an attempted robbery, the Virgin Islands Police Department reported.
At approximately 1:09 a.m., patrol units traveled to a report of an armed robbery. Upon their arrival, a victim reported that he was robbed by several males dressed in all black and wearing face masks. The victim additionally stated that one of the suspects approached him with a long rifle while the others carried handguns. He reported several items were taken from him before the suspects entered a gray SUV and fled the area, the police report stated.
About an hour and a half later, multiple gunshots were detected in the Red Hook area. VIPD received a call stating a male had been shot. There were also reports of a victim, who, while on the side of the roadway in the Red Hook area, was approached by a male wearing all black with his face covered, armed with a long gun, who exited a gray SUV, and attempted to pull the chain off the victim’s neck, according to the report.
Patrol units traveled to Red Hook and discovered an unresponsive male lying on the ground with what appeared to be multiple gunshot wounds to his body. The investigation revealed that the male was the individual who exited the gray SUV with a rifle in his hand and that his intended victim had fired the shots that struck him. Emergency Medical Technicians traveled to the scene and concluded that the male did not have any vital signs. The identity of the male is currently unknown. Investigators are seeking to identify the male and contact the next of kin before releasing the identity of the deceased, the report stated.
This death marks the third homicide reported this year on St. Thomas and the sixth in the territory, with three recorded on St. Croix and none on St. John, according to the Source Homicide List*.
Anyone who has any information about this crime can contact the VIPD at 340-774-2211 or Major Crimes Unit (WhatsApp) 340-642-8449. People can also contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477(TIPS) or 911.
*The Source Homicide List is a chronological log of homicides recorded in 2026 in the U.S. Virgin Islands based on reports from the Virgin Islands Police Department. The listing does not include suicides or vehicular homicides, which are sometimes counted in police statistics and by other media outlets, creating occasional discrepancies in totals.
