Man Arrested After Assault Rifle and Ammunition Seized in Ongoing VIPD Operation

A 25-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after Virgin Islands Police Officers recovered an assault rifle and ammunition during a follow-up operation tied to a February double homicide in Frederiksted, according to the V.I. Police Department.

Hector Sankitts was taken into custody during the second phase of “Operation Always Watching!” which was executed by members of the Criminal Investigation and Special Operations bureaus on June 25. Police said the operation stemmed from an ongoing investigation into a fatal shooting that occurred on Feb. 1 near Yolanda’s Minibar on Queen Street, according to the police report.

According to the department, officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert just before midnight that night and found one man dead at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds. A second victim later arrived at Juan F. Luis Hospital but was also pronounced dead.

The VIPD launched Operation Always Watching! on April 16, and the second phase led officers to recover the illegal firearm and ammunition during the execution of search warrants, the police report stated.