ST. CROIX — A District Court judge ordered during a hearing today the detention of an assault suspect in federal custody pending trial following his arrest on local and federal charges in connection to the non-fatal shooting of a mother and her 15-year-old daughter on July 4 at the Candido Guadalupe Terrace housing community.
Magistrate Judge Emile Henderson III said he granted the prosecution’s motion for the detention of 52-year-old Miguel Marrero, a three-time convicted felon, on the basis that the suspect is a “danger to the community.”
Federal Public Defender Gabriel Villegas, who was appointed to represent Marrero during the hearing, did not oppose the prosecution’s motion for detention.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Huston, who is prosecuting the case, told the Court that the U.S. government intends to adopt the local charges against the suspect in addition to two federal firearm offenses — felon in possession of a firearm and illegal possession of a firearm in a school zone. Marrero faces up to 15 years in prison for the charge of felon in possession of a firearm, and up to five years in prison for the charge of illegal possession of a firearm in a school zone. He could also be fined up to $250,000 on each charge.
Since Marrero made his initial appearance in District Court today, the prosecution now has 30 days to file information or an indictment that would include the two federal offenses in addition to adopting the local charges.
Marrero, who was escorted into court by two U.S. marshals, appeared before the judge wearing handcuffs and red prison attire. The hearing was only attended by media and law enforcement officers.
After Marrero’s arrest on July 4, Superior Court Judge Ernest Morris found probable cause during a hearing the next day on July 5 to charge the suspect with 13 local offenses — first-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault, possession of an unlicensed firearm, possession of an unlicensed firearm within 100 feet of a school, possession or sale of ammunition, first-degree reckless endangerment, child abuse, brandishing a deadly weapon not in self defense, brandishing and using a deadly weapon in a fight/quarrel, disturbing the peace by fighting, instigating or aiding a fight, and discharging, without injury, a firearm intentionally although without malice, and aiming to any person toward any other person.
After the shooting, Marrero got in his vehicle and fled from the crime scene at Candido Guadalupe Terrace housing community, which is across the street from Alfredo Andrews Elementary School. Officers from the Virgin Islands Police Department’s Special Operations Bureau apprehended him in the Sion Farm area. Marrero admitted shooting both victims while giving police a statement.
Marrero, while providing a statement, told investigators that his minor son advised him when he got home from work on July 3 about some minors in the housing community who had been sending him text messages and threatening to fight him, according to an affidavit in support of probable cause filed in District Court by Christopher Pastwik, a special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. Marrero said he went outside with his son after hearing the minors create a disturbance in the archway of his building, threatening to fight his son. He said the minors advanced toward his son, so he drew his firearm at a 45-degree angle and “dared any of them to touch” his son. He said the minors ran away when they saw his firearm, noting that he went back inside while hoping that was the end of it.
Marrero told investigators about the July 4 shooting incident, noting that he received the same complaint about the minors in the housing community from his son upon returning home from work. Marrero said the minors created another commotion outside his building when they dared his son to go outside. Marrero said he armed himself with a 40-caliber handgun and took his son outside. He said he did not intend to fire any shots, noting that he brought the gun to protect himself and his son.
During a fight between his son and a 15-year-old-girl, Marrero said the girl’s mother ran up to him and began assaulting him. He said the woman punched him in the eye while wearing a flowered ring, causing him to bleed in both eyes. He said he was unable to see since both eyes were covered in blood. He said he saw about 10 people running up to him, so he drew his firearm and fired a few shots to back them off. Marrero, who sustained a minor injury to his left eyebrow, said that once he fired the shots, he saw the woman drop to the ground. He said he immediately fled the area in his vehicle after tossing the firearm into the bushes by one of the buildings in the housing community.
One of Marrero’s three minor sons told investigators about an ongoing altercation he had with other minors in the housing community who had sent numerous text messages to his cellphone, threatening to fight him if he came outside his apartment. Marrero’s son said the same minors shouted for him to exit his building to fight on the evening of July 3, noting that his father urged him to go outside “to deal with it.” He said he went outside with his father. He said his father pulled a handgun from his back pocket after a verbal altercation and pointed it at the minors, prompting them to run away.
The next day on July 4, Marrero’s son said the minors started texting him via Snapchat, sending him pictures of firearms and daring him to go outside before approaching his building. After informing his father that they were outside once again, he told investigators that his father said, “let’s go outside to deal with them.” He said they both went outside.
Marrero’s son said a girl challenged him to fight, adding that he boxed her until she passed out. At that time, he said the girl’s mother ran toward the altercation and confronted his father. He said the woman attacked his father by grabbing his shirt and scratching his face. He said his father reached for a firearm from his waist or back pocket. He said he saw his father fire two shots toward the girl’s mother, causing her to fall to the ground.
Another one of Marrero’s minor sons provided investigators with a similar statement, describing the ongoing harassment his brother received from the other minors in the housing community that led up to the shooting. While his brother was fighting the girl, he said the girl’s mother grabbed his father by the shirt and sliced him on his face with an unknown object. He said that after his father saw he sustained an injury to his face, he “pulled out a gun and fired two shots, striking about three people.” He said his father left the area in a vehicle, so he and his siblings ran to the Ann Schrader Command in fear of retaliation.
The girl told investigators that Marrero’s son immediately attacked her, adding that Marrero encouraged his son to “hit her some more.” The girl said she and her mother confronted Marrero, during which a verbal altercation ensued. She said her mother pushed Marrero away. She said Marrero then pulled out a firearm and shot her mother. She said she began running. She said Marrero fired two shots at her, striking her in her leg and ankle. The girl’s mother, who got shot in the back, was rushed into emergency surgery. Police were unable to obtain a statement from the woman due to the extent of her injuries. She was ultimately air lifted off island.
