A St. Croix man was arrested Tuesday in connection with a burglary at a business in Sunny Isles and a separate case involving property damage, the Virgin Islands Police Department reported.
Luis Lopez Jr. was taken into custody without incident and charged in two cases following separate investigations, according to the police report.
Police said the burglary case began March 13 at about 8:41 a.m. when the 911 Emergency Call Center received a report of an activated alarm at Purple Papaya. Responding officers found the business had been burglarized. Surveillance footage showed Lopez damaging a glass window, entering the business and removing items, then fleeing with the stolen property, the police report stated.
He was later detained in possession of the stolen items and transported to the Wilbur H. Francis Command Police Station, where he was advised of his Miranda rights and declined to provide a statement, police said.
Lopez was charged with burglary third degree, possession of stolen property, destruction of property and petit larceny. Bail was set at $25,000. He was remanded to the John Bell Correctional Facility pending his advice of rights hearing, the report stated.
In a separate case, police said an incident on Dec. 22, 2025, involved reports that Lopez was damaging property at businesses in Sunny Isles Shopping Center. Surveillance footage showed him throwing rocks at glass windows and injuring a patron at one business, the report stated.
An arrest warrant was issued, and Lopez was later arrested Tuesday on additional charges of reckless endangerment second degree, destruction of property and disturbance of the peace threats. Bail in that case was set at $2,500, and he was unable to post bail, police said.
