From a deadly shooting in a packed St. Thomas parking lot to a child found bound in the rain on St. Croix, a string of violent crimes played out across the Virgin Islands last week, with court filings laying out what unfolded — and what officers found when they arrived.
In one of the more high-profile cases, police responded around 1:37 p.m. Saturday to reports of gunfire at the Fort Mylner KFC parking lot on St. Thomas, where they found 29-year-old Everton Glenroy Ralph Jr. — also known as “Flint” — unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a red Acura SUV. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and chest.
While officers were processing the scene, 27-year-old Kemo Riley Jr. approached and identified himself as a friend of the victim. According to court documents, he told detectives he had just received a haircut from Ralph and, after hearing gunshots, walked over and looked through the windshield to find Ralph bleeding inside the vehicle.
But Riley’s actions quickly raised red flags. Surveillance footage showed him removing a gold chain and a black crossbody bag from the SUV before walking away. Officers later found both items in his possession; inside the bag was a Glock 9mm pistol with an extended magazine. Police also noted that Riley had blood on his hands and watched as he entered a nearby restaurant to wash them.
Riley was arrested and charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and destruction of evidence. He was scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing this week.
Two days earlier, police were called to Oswald Harris Court in connection with another homicide. According to court records, 28-year-old Shyiane Degallerie placed a 911 call around 2:49 a.m. Thursday, reporting that he had been in a car crash in the area. The dispatcher remained on the line and reported hearing an escalating argument laced with profanity, followed by multiple gunshots. The caller then went silent.
Degallerie was later found dead near Building 6 at Oswald Harris Court. His registered handgun was recovered at the scene. Surveillance footage reviewed by detectives showed a confrontation between two motorists, with one walking away and being chased by another man and a third person who had been sitting nearby.
On Saturday, police arrested 20-year-old Ajani Prentice in connection with the case. He was already in custody on another matter when detectives picked him up from the Red Hook dock. According to court documents, Prentice told officers he saw Degallerie chasing a relative with a gun and intervened. He has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm and is being held on $50,000 bail.
On St. Croix, a separate incident triggered concern after police responded to reports of a child being left outside in the rain at the Louis E. Brown Villas. Officers found a 12-year-old boy lying on a soaked mattress near Building 12. The child was completely nude, with one hand restrained to a column, according to court filings. Beside him were two bowls containing food and a roll of toilet paper.
Police knocked on the door of the apartment and spoke with 30-year-old Jessica Christian, who told them she had tied up her son because he had been defecating around the house and she could not control him. At one point, officers said Christian attempted to restrain him again. The boy and his 5-year-old sister were both removed from the home and placed in the custody of Human Services.
Christian was arrested and charged with child abuse, false imprisonment, and cruelty to an incompetent person. Her bail was set at $60,000.
All three cases are currently pending in Superior Court as investigations continue.
