A mugging on the Christiansted boardwalk has left a cloud hanging over the downtown walkway just a day before its official opening.
St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis said that at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, a man was pistol-whipped and robbed by two attackers. Francis said the victim, a long-time island resident, was carrying a .357 magnum handgun, which was taken from him by the assailants.
The victim was taken to Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital for wounds to the head.
The incident occured not much more than a day before Gov. Charles Turnbull is scheduled to dedicate the boardwalk extension, Friday morning.
The mugging follows at least three robberies on the new section of walkway west of Queens Cross Street, in the part of town heavily frequented by visitors to the island and residents.
The other incidents spurred Turnbull to order more police patrols downtown despite a lack of resources within the V.I. Police Department. However, the department, with the help of downtown residents, has beefed up its bike patrol unit and implemented an overtime program to ensure coverage for downtown.
Francis said the Wednesday night attack came in between patrols of the area.
"We had individuals who were actually casing" the area, he said, adding that he wanted to dispel the rumor that police have not been on the boardwalk. "That’s not true," he said.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Friday on the boardwalk at Queens Cross Street.
The recently completed boardwalk addition was the first phase of extending the waterfront walk. Phase IA and II are scheduled to begin during the 2001 calendar year. Phase IA will extend from the new terminus of the boardwalk near the Holger Danske Hotel to the seaplane ramp. Phase II will run from Fort Christiansvaern to Gallows Bay.
