A St. Croix man has been arrested in connection with a December 2025 shooting in Peter’s Rest, according to the Virgin Islands Police Department.
Police identified the suspect as Turrel Thomas, who was taken into custody on Friday following the execution of arrest and search warrants by the Criminal Investigation Bureau, with assistance from the Special Operations Bureau and Intelligence Units, according to the police report.
The case stems from an incident reported around 4 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2025, when the 911 Emergency Call Center received ShotSpotter alerts indicating gunfire in the Peter’s Rest area near Carlos Bar. Responding officers recovered multiple spent cartridges at the scene, according to the VIPD.
An investigation by CIB detectives identified Thomas as the suspected shooter, police said. During the execution of the warrants, officers seized a firearm, the police report stated.
Thomas was booked and unable to post $100,000 bail. He faces charges of attempted murder and possession of firearm. He was transported to the John Bell Correctional Facility pending his advice of hearing, the report stated.
Federal agents raided a St. Thomas strip club Friday night that they alleged was actually a brothel, where dancers brought in from outside the territory were coerced into a commercial sex scheme to repay travel and housing expenses, according to court records released Saturday.
Some alleged victims, as young as 17, stripped when they started working for previous iterations of Red Hook’s Tootsys Gentlemen’s Club, according to court records. Some, smuggled into the territory illegally, had their passports seized until payment was made, according to court records.
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested 56-year-old Hussein Jamil, who also goes by Hussian Jamil Suarez and Tony, 39-year-old Magda Castro Santos, also known as Tatiana, and Julio Hidaldo De Pena, 65. All three were charged with conspiracy to transport for the purpose of prostitution, conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises, and conspiracy to harbor aliens for financial gain — punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Alan Teague Saturday and were held without bail ahead of their detention hearings scheduled for Monday afternoon.
The operation involved flying in exotic dancers from the mainland and smuggling in others without proper documentation, prosecutors alleged. Most of the women lived in a Bolongo house rented by Jamil. Undocumented workers smuggled in through the BVI, however, were kept away from American dancers, victims told law enforcement.
The Friday night raid on the Bolongo home caught the attention of multiple social media users who posted alerts of a strangely low-flying helicopter in the Bolongo area, as well as emergency vehicles.
Alleged sex-trafficking victims told law enforcement that Jamil contacted and lured the dancers by phone or social media, offering to pay for flights and provide low-cost lodging. The club’s website remained active Saturday, with an advertisement for dancers that offered housing, transportation to the club, and the potential for paid flights.
Hidaldo De Pena allegedly ran the security camera-laden house and transported women between the Bolongo home and Tootsys, which was managed by Castro Santos, according to court records.
Her duties included ensuring the dancers paid their fees, directing clients to the dancers, and collecting payments for private dances and commercial sex, prosecutors alleged.
Dancers were typically charged $100 to $200 per week to live at the Bolongo house and made to pay a $60 buy-in fee every night in order to work at Tootsys, according to court records. They were required to work six nights a week — Tuesday through Sunday — and were fined $500 for every night’s work they missed. They were also fined $10 for every 15 minutes they were late to work, prosecutors alleged.
“When dancers arrived on St. Thomas for the purpose of working at Tootsys, the alleged conspirators’ coercive fee scheme pushed the dancers to make more money by engaging in commercial sex, both at Tootsys and through customers ‘buying out’ dancers to take them to an offsite premises,” U.S. Attorney Adam Sleeper said in a written statement.
A criminal complaint filed with Virgin Islands District Court outlined prosecutors’ summary of the operation: “To pay these fees, the conspirators encouraged the dancers to engage in commercial sex acts at Tootsys to make more money. For instance, private dances typically cost $30 for every 15 minutes. Going into the ‘Chandelier Room,’ a room on the main floor reserved for dancers to have sexual intercourse with customers, typically costs $350 every
fifteen minutes. Additionally, customers can ‘buy out’ a dancer to take her off site, often to a hotel room for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex, which typically costs $1,500. The dancers and Tootsys each receive a portion of the payments for these services.”
The Tootsys enterprise may have been ongoing as far back as June 2019, according to court records. Some victims interviewed by authorities allegedly said that when immigration agents and other law enforcement visited the club, undocumented workers would change into street clothes and pretend to be patrons.
One former Tootsys employee told prosecutors several of the undocumented foreign employees had been forced to surrender their passports to club designates. But not all the undocumented Tootsys employees — from Venezuela, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere — felt trapped, according to court records.
A Venezuelan woman was smuggled from Tortola to St. Thomas with the promise of making better money, she told prosecutors. Once working for Tootsys, she was told she needed to repay an $800 smuggling fee. After two months in St. Thomas, she returned to Venezuela — only to return to the U.S. Virgin Islands 20 months later. This time, her fare was paid for by Jamil. She was again smuggled through the BVI to St. John, and then to the Bolongo house in St. Thomas. She again traveled back to Venezuela and then again to St. Thomas for a third round of working at Tootsys. She told prosecutors that she had sex with Jamil to pay off her smuggling debt.
Young honorees recognized Friday on St. Thomas for actions taken in 2024 to save a life at Magens Bay Beach. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)
The American Red Cross of the Virgin Islands honored two young heroes at an event held Friday on St. Thomas. Twin brothers, Kruz and Stefon Wilson, were presented with the Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action two years after the young kayakers dove into the waters of Magens Bay and saved a drowning man.
Parents and grandparents joined the ceremony at the Red Cross office in Estate Thomas. The brothers — now 9 years old — accepted their certificates and the gift of an all-expenses-paid family excursion to St. Croix.
Heroic acts by the Wilson twins marked the second time since 2023 that St. Thomas’ youth swung into action to save lives. Two students from Charlotte Amalie High School dove into Charlotte Amalie Harbor in March 2023 to rescue the motorist and passenger of a vehicle that veered off Veteran’s Drive and fell over the concrete bulkhead.
“Kruz and Stephan Wilson — two young brothers — demonstrated bravery when they rescued an about-to-be-drowning man two years ago at Magens Bay Beach, and of course St. Thomas rescue came and applied the necessary safety tactics and helped revive this person. And that, of course, was the result of the efforts of these two young men who were 7 years old — that’s a very young age — and helped to save him,” said Sen. Angel Bolques, the lawmaker who helped bring the children’s act to the attention of officials at Red Cross National headquarters.
“They jumped right into action, and they swam, and they went and provided lifesaving assistance to this individual,” said St. Thomas Rescue spokesman Chris Watson shortly after the 2024 incident. “It is genuinely something heroic.”
With help from his staff, the lawmaker sought contributions from local businesses to create a staycation package for the Wilson family. “We got a free flight over for the entire family — mom, dad and the children — three nights at the Buccaneer; jet car in Frederiksted … during the Red Cross ceremony I found out dad and the children had never been to St. Croix … so that was the first time in their entire lives they had ever been to St. Croix,” the senator said.
The Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action recognizes lifesaving actions by individuals taken in an emergency to save or sustain lives.
If you own a home, you’ve probably received a solicitation saying, “We want to buy your house.” The offer may sound appealing, but it’s often not in your best interest.
(Submitted photo)
These sell‑your‑home schemes often target older homeowners who are likely to have significant home equity. The bad actors search public records for foreclosure filings, divorces, or recent deaths to identify homeowners who may be under financial or emotional stress.
They frequently rely on high‑pressure sales tactics and misleading claims—including misrepresenting the value of your home, exaggerating market conditions to create a false sense of urgency, or even suggesting you may owe back taxes.
Even promises to buy homes “as is” can be misleading. In some cases, buyers later back out of that pledge and demand repairs before completing the sale, leaving the seller responsible for costly fixes after all.
If you’re thinking about working with a “We Buy Homes” company, know the true value of your home, understand what you’re signing, and get legal advice before moving forward.
Learn how to spot and avoid scams with AARP Fraud Watch Network™. Suspect a scam? Call our free helpline at 877-908-3360 and talk to one of our fraud specialists about what to do next.
Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency speak with residents during a public availability session at the DPNR building in Tutu Mall on April 16 about ongoing cleanup efforts at the Tutu Wellfield Superfund site. (Photo by Finn Sharpless)
Federal and territorial officials outlined a major expansion of groundwater cleanup efforts at the Tutu Wellfield Superfund Site during a public meeting Thursday, detailing a new system designed to more aggressively address long-standing contamination in the Tutu area of St. Thomas.
The site, which spans roughly 108 acres from the Curriculum Center through parts of Anna’s Retreat and Estate Tutu, has been under federal oversight since 1995, when testing found industrial pollutants in both public and private wells. Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said construction on an upgraded groundwater treatment system began in November 2025 and is expected to continue as new wells and equipment are installed.
“Our role is to serve you and to be accountable,” said Arshley ReyTorres, a community involvement coordinator with EPA. “We’re here to explain what we’re doing, listen to concerns and make sure people are not being exposed to contaminated groundwater while we clean it up.”
ReyTorres said the project is entering a new phase, while acknowledging its long history.
“There is more than 30 years of history at this site, but our commitment now is to strengthen relationships with the local government and move this cleanup forward,” she said. “We’re in a new phase of this project, expanding the treatment system so we can target the source of the contamination more aggressively.”
Officials said the expanded effort builds on earlier cleanup systems that were able to contain the spread of contamination.
The earlier remedy, based on two groundwater treatment plants, “would not clean up the groundwater in a reasonable amount of time,” EPA project manager Michael Grossman said. The new plan, adopted in 2021, triples system capacity and expands the extraction well network in an effort to take “a much more aggressive approach at the source of the contamination” at the Curriculum Center.
The contamination traces back to industrial activity on land now occupied by the Virgin Islands Department of Education’s Curriculum Center. In the late 1960s and 1970s, a textile and dry-cleaning operation used tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, a solvent commonly used in dry cleaning. The facility closed by the late 1970s, and the property was sold to the government in 1981.
In 1987, complaints about smells led to testing of nearby wells, which found chlorinated volatile organic compounds, including PCE, along with petroleum products in the groundwater. Officials responded by closing 18 wells, decontaminating affected cisterns, supplying residents with trucked drinking water and launching a long-term groundwater monitoring program. A detailed federal investigation in the early 1990s led to the site’s addition to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1995. It is the only Superfund site in the territory.
Geologist Rachel Griffiths said the site presents challenges typical of Superfund sites, which can lead to prolonged cleanup efforts.
“These are highly toxic, highly contaminated sites, and they’re often situated in complicated geologic areas,” she said. “Here, groundwater moves through small fractures in volcanic rock, so it’s very hard to target and very hard to treat.”
EPA officials said work at the site is now focused on building out the upgraded treatment system around the Curriculum Center.
Officials did not give a specific timeline for when groundwater is expected to meet federal drinking water standards, but said cleanup will continue for many years, even with the expanded system.
EPA’s Community Involvement Plan calls for additional public meetings and availability sessions as work progresses, along with fact sheets, online updates and coordination with local agencies, including the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and the Education Department.
Residents questioned how long people may have been exposed before the contamination was discovered in the late 1980s, with some describing neighbors and family members who developed cancer or other serious illnesses and asking whether those cases could be linked to past exposure. A parent also cited a recent asthma attack at a nearby school that students said was preceded by a noticeable odor, and called for clearer advance notice of drilling and construction near the campus, along with better coordination with school officials.
Residents said many people in the area still do not fully understand the extent of contamination or the status of cleanup efforts, and urged EPA and territorial agencies to strengthen communication through schools, online updates, and more direct outreach.
ReyTorres said the cleanup began after concerns raised by residents prompted an investigation, highlighting the role of community engagement.
“In terms of this project, it was raised because someone raised their voice and an investigation was done,” she said. “Many of the successes we see in environmental laws, regulations and even Superfund site designations happen because people in the community speak up and say, ‘This is happening, and something needs to be done.’ Our commitment is to strengthen those relationships so your voice continues to be raised and people continue learning about this.”
The Virgin Islands Department of Health released its 2025 Epidemiology Division Annual Report Thursday. (Screenshot of 2025 annual report cover page)
Painful and potentially deadly infections like COVID-19 and dengue fever were far less prevalent in the territory in 2025 than 2024, according to a new report from the Virgin Islands Health Department. A hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreak was quelled within months.
In 2024, the Virgin Islands reported at least 215 cases of bone-grinding dengue fever. Only 47 cases of the mosquito-borne illness were reported in 2025, according to the Epidemiology Division’s 2025 Annual Report published Thursday. Those numbers may be off, however, as only roughly 25% of people infected show noticeable signs of illness, the report said. Five percent will have severe reactions but less than 1% die.
From 770 COVID cases in 2024, the territory saw just 140 cases in 2025 — none fatal, according to the report.
Territorial Epidemiologist Dr. Esther Ellis credited proactive data collection and diligent interpretation with helping quell such outbreaks.
“Disease surveillance remains the cornerstone of effective public health practice. Through systematic data collection, analysis, and interpretation, we can detect emerging threats, monitor disease activity, and guide evidence-based interventions,” Ellis wrote in the report.
The first few months of 2025 were notable for a dramatic insurance of hand, foot, and mouth disease. From February to April, the Health Department identified 247 cases — 243 on St. Thomas and four on St. Croix — at USVI day cares and schools, the report said.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a common illness in children under five years old that can spread quickly in social settings, the report said. Symptoms are often mild, lasting for a week to 10 days, and can include fever, sore throat, mouth sores, and rash commonly found on the hands and feet.
It’s spread through direct contact with an infected person’s saliva, mucus, or blisters, respiratory droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze, contaminated surfaces, or contact with infected feces, such as changing diapers.
“To reduce the risk of infection, frequent hand washing and cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces and shared items (e.g., toys) are critical, the report said. “To contain the outbreak and prevent further illness, the VIDOH-EPI provided phone consultations and in-person visits for direct observation and infection control training at affected schools and day cares. Improved hand hygiene protocols and environmental cleaning efforts were recommended for all school and child care settings.”
Other infectious diseases, such as hepatitis, were lower year over year as well. There were four cases of acute hepatitis B and eight of hepatitis C in 2024, but two cases of acute hepatitis B and two of hepatitis C in 2025.
The flu hit the territory hard, however. In 2024, there were 99 confirmed cases of influenza in the Virgin Islands. In 2025, that number spiked to 378 cases. St. Thomas had the vast majority of flu cases, reporting 296 cases — or 78.3% of the territory’s influenza outbreak. St. Croix had 68 cases and St. John had 14 cases.
“This represents the highest case count recorded in the past five years,” the report said.
Another troubling increase was lead levels detected in Virgin Islanders’ blood. Four confirmed cases and one suspected case of abnormally high blood-lead levels were reported in 2024, which rose to nine confirmed, three probable, and three more suspected lead cases in 2025.
There is no safe blood lead level, especially for children. Even low levels of lead in blood are associated with developmental delays, difficulty learning, and behavioral issues, the reports said.
Of the nine confirmed cases, six were on St. Croix and three were on St. Thomas, the report said. Four were adults and five were children under five years old.
“Home assessments identified potential sources of lead exposure to be walls with chipping paint, ceramic/porcelain tiles, cooking pots, and ceramic kitchenware (e.g., plates). Certain businesses were identified to be higher risk of exposure to lead, including indoor shooting ranges,” the report said.
Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion said the report “reflects our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the health of all Virgin Islanders through evidence-based practice, strategic action, and strong community partnerships.”
Encarnacion highlighted not just infectious disease control, but also community wellness, youth health, and overall emergency preparedness as keys to combating health challenges.
“While we celebrate this progress, we also recognize the ongoing challenges we must address — particularly in chronic disease prevention, equitable access to care, and the expansion of mental health support. I extend my deepest appreciation to our dedicated public health professionals, our partners, and our community members for their resilience and commitment,” she wrote.
Two summer tourists found a dying kitten one desperately-hot Emerald Beach afternoon. A moment of heartbreak, an act of charity, a lucky break — two flights and a long car ride later — and Emerald the cat is in a forever home in Oregon’s high desert.
If you threw a bullseye into Oregon, you’d come pretty near the town of Bend. It’s a long way for an eight-lives-left Caribbean beach cat.
In 2025, Pets With Wings helped fly 239 dogs and 236 cats to the mainland. Visitors or Virgin Islanders trekking back and forth brought a little puppy or kitty in a carrier under their seat or escorted them from a cargo area. At their destination airport, someone from a local shelter picked the animal up: a quick goodbye, and the soon-to-be-someone’s-best-friend was off.
Pets With Wings sends unhoused USVI pets to mainland forever homes. (Photo courtesy Pets With Wings)
“Each flight is $150 per pet,” said Annette T. Zachman, treasurer of the all-volunteer Pets With Wings. “That’s just for the flight. There are vaccines, health certificates, and other things that are needed for their safe transport.”
There’s no charge, of course, to escort a pet, nor does it pay. But the organization is always in need of support. An upcoming event in May hopes for generous five-figure donations but has options as low as $75, Zachman said.
“Every person has an opportunity to fly off with a pet,” she said. “Send us your information and we’ll do the footwork. We’ll meet you at the airport. We’ll do everything we can to help make this a smooth sailing.”
The Purzycki family flew these three to New Jersey. (Photo courtesy Pets With Wings)
Back to that cat in Bend: “I get a call from the president of Pets With Wings. She got a call from some tourists that were down staying at Emerald Beach, down by the airport, freaking out, crying. They found this little super dehydrated — they thought it was dying — little black kitty. And I was like, oh God, it’s six o’clock, but OK. I go down there, meet them. She’s crying. It’s their 20th anniversary” Zachman said. “And I’m like, OK. So she hands me this little sick kitty through the car window. They go on about their way. But she says, let’s keep in touch because if anything, I love this cat.”
Zachman agrees to keep in touch, takes the cat home and nurses it back to health. A nonprofit, Pets With Wings is all volunteers. Zachman’s day job is as a hairdresser.
“So there’s a lady getting her haircut who’s talking about moving back to Oregon. She goes, well, we’re leaving next week, Tuesday. I said, well, would you be interested in, you know, transporting this little kitty? And she goes, ‘Sure. Why not?’”
The health certificate Zachman filled required a name for the cat found at Emerald Beach.
“And I’m like, I don’t know. Emerald. That beautiful green eyes. Jet black kitty. So his name is Emerald. Alright. Cool. She goes, ‘Well’ — and I told her the story about the couple — she goes, ‘Well, what’s the stone for the twenty year anniversary?’ And I look it up on my phone. It’s Emerald.”
Emerald flew to Portland and then, in a car with her new people, on a winding highway through the deciduous Willamette and Columbia confluence up into the coniferous Cascades, and on to the vast expanses of the high desert.
Antilles School marked a defining moment in its 75th anniversary year on April 11 with its “Lights. Legacy. Action.” Gala, an evening that brought together alumni, families, faculty, and friends in a powerful show of community support.
Student volunteers, pictured here with Head of School Shannon Harris, lined the blue carpet coming into the Marcie Marin center and pretended to be paparazzi. (Submitted photo)
From the opening moments on the blue carpet to a sneak-peak of the school’s 75th Anniversary documentary, the night reflected what has sustained Antilles for generations: a shared belief in the power of education and a community willing to invest in it.
“Tonight is more than an anniversary,” Head of School Shannon Harris shared. “It is a moment to honor the generations who have shaped this community — and to recommit ourselves to what it can become. Seventy-five years is an incredible milestone, but the story is far from finished. Your presence and your generosity will help write what comes next.”
Alumni from across the years attended the sold-out event. (Submitted photo)
That message came to life throughout the evening, as close to 400 guests gathered not only to celebrate the school’s past, but to actively support its future. Through strong participation across ticket sales, sponsorships, the silent auction, and direct giving, the Antilles community pushed the impact of the sold-out event well beyond expectations.
Organizers credit that success to the depth of engagement across every level of the community — from sponsors and donors to volunteers and attendees who showed up with enthusiasm and purpose.
“This was a full community effort,” said 75th Anniversary Campaign Coordinator Karen Nelson-Hughes, also the parent of two Antilles alumni. “The energy in the room made it clear — people believe in this school, and they’re invested in where it’s going.”
Photo boards and slideshows, picturing students and special moments over the past seven decades, were a main attraction in the room. (Submitted photo)
The gala also highlighted the school’s enduring mission, first shaped by founding Head Deborah Finch and carried forward through decades of leadership, including the expansion of access and financial aid under longtime Head Mark Marin. Today, that commitment continues, with a focus on ensuring Antilles remains accessible to families across the Virgin Islands while preparing students for college, careers, and life.
As the evening closed, the message was clear: the milestone may be 75 years, but the momentum is forward. With record participation and a renewed sense of purpose, Antilles School now looks ahead — building on a legacy that continues to grow through the strength of its community.
The V.I. Police Department and V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services recovered a body from the water near the Christiansted boardwalk Monday morning. (Source photo by Jesse Daley)
The V.I. Police Department has identified the man whose body was found in the water off the Christiansted boardwalk Monday as Barnet Valerie. He was 55.
VIPD spokesperson Glen Dratte said people on the boardwalk contacted 911 on Monday morning after noticing a body submerged in the water. Police and V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel responded, and the body was recovered with help from a marine unit. Dratte said an autopsy to confirm the cause of death will be performed next week.
“Based on our assessment so far, we think it was a drowning,” Dratte told the Source Friday. “But … next week, we’ll be able to get a confirmation.”
