A 19-year-old repeat offender accused of targeting multiple businesses across St. Thomas is in custody after a series of thefts that spanned several weeks, the V.I. Police Department announced Friday.
The Virgin Islands Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau arrested Tyshaune Rey Jr. Thursday, following an investigation that linked him to multiple incidents of grand larceny and robbery, according to the police report.
Authorities said the crime spree began on Jan. 15 at Cardow Main Street, where Rey allegedly entered the business, asked to see three pieces of jewelry, and ran out without paying while the employee’s back was turned. Surveillance footage captured the suspect fleeing with the stolen items. He was charged with grand larceny, with bail set at $20,000, the police report stated.
On Jan. 21, officers responded to a robbery at the McDonald’s in Lockhart Gardens after an employee reported a man leaning into the drive-thru window and grabbing approximately $600 from the register. The suspect had his hands concealed inside his jacket, leading the victim to believe he might have been armed. Rey was charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree robbery, and grand larceny, with bail set at $75,000, the report stated.
Rey was also linked to a theft at Pueblo Supermarket in Long Bay on Jan. 26. Surveillance footage showed a masked individual taking approximately $500 from a cash pan before fleeing on foot. He was charged with grand larceny and petit larceny, with bail set at $20,000, the report stated.
The crime spree continued Thursday at Kmart in Lockhart Gardens. Detectives responded to reports of a suspect matching Rey’s description stealing cash from a register. Officers searching the area soon located a man dressed in a gray hoodie and black cargo pants, matching surveillance footage. Rey was charged with grand larceny and petit larceny, with bail set at $20,000, it said.
Despite initial attempts to evade police, Rey was arrested Thursday at approximately 11:00 a.m. CIB detectives and VIPD officers identified him through video surveillance, eyewitness accounts, and investigative leads. He was advised of his rights, booked, processed, and remanded to the Bureau of Corrections pending his Advice of Rights hearing, it said.
The investigation remains ongoing. Authorities urge anyone with information about this or other crimes to contact 911, the Police Chief’s Office, the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 340-774-2211, or Crime Stoppers V.I. at 800-222-8477 (TIPS).
