ST. CROIX — Just Right Trucking & Trash Removal, a family-owned business on St. Croix since 2003, is committed to continuing garbage collection with its remaining vehicles following the loss of five trucks and heavy equipment to confirmed arson early this morning at its headquarters in Estate Orange Grove, according to the owners.
As the company prepares to open for business Monday and resume garbage collection with other available equipment, the owners are asking for patience from their customers as they anticipate delays.
“It just happened this morning, and we are trying to put this thing together to figure out what’s the next step in order to continue providing this service,” Mitchell Matthew Sr., who owns the company with his wife, Lorraine Benjamin Matthew, said from the company’s headquarters this afternoon. “We don’t want to say that we’re out. We are not 100% out, but we’re down.”
The fire damage to three garbage trucks, two dump trucks, a backhoe, and an excavator located in different areas of the company’s property has been confirmed as arson following an initial investigation by Virgin Islands Fire and Emergency Medical Services, according to a VIFEMS news release. Evidence suggests that arsonists trespassed onto the property and deliberately set fire to the equipment.
Following multiple reports of a fire in the bush near the business received by the 911 Emergency Communications Center at about 4:37 a.m. today, VIFEMS crews discovered several vehicles were fully engulfed in flames upon arrival, the release stated. After deploying multiple fire suppression units, their swift and coordinated efforts prevented the fire from spreading to nearby structures.
Lorraine Matthew thanked VIFEMS and the Virgin Islands Police Department for quickly responding to the early morning blaze. By the time she and her husband traveled to the property after receiving a call from a friend who alerted them about the fire, she said firefighters and police officers were already on the property.
“They had everything under control, so we definitely want to commend the Fire Services and VIPD for their quick response,” she said.
The smell of burnt metal still lingered on the property near the vehicles this afternoon even though hours had passed since firefighters extinguished the fire, which the owners linked to a recent contract they secured with the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority.
“We’re not saying we know who did it, but we know it’s connected,” Lorraine Matthew said.
Mitchell Matthew said common sense tells him it is connected to the WMA contract.
“If you’re following it and you pay attention, you’ll figure it out yourself,” he said. “It’s self-explanatory.”
Just Right Trucking began house-to-house garbage collection at the beginning of the new year for WMA in about 25 St. Croix neighborhoods that were previously serviced by Bates Trucking & Trash Removal. Just Right Trucking secured a six-month contract with WMA to provide the service following the departure of Bates Trucking from a month-to-month contract with the Authority due to unpaid debts.
WMA issued a statement today condemning the incident, noting the damaged equipment belongs to “a critical vendor” contracted to address the backlog of house-to-house garbage collection on St. Croix.
“This unacceptable and unfortunate act demonstrates a blatant disregard for the rule of law, the livelihoods of hardworking individuals, and the well-being of the St. Croix community,” according to the statement issued by Lorna Minkoff, WMA spokesperson. “This malicious act has disrupted critical services and undermined efforts to restore timely waste collection for our residents,” according to WMA.
Regardless of who set the fire or why, the Matthews maintained high spirits and demonstrated a strong desire to rebound from this setback.
“Our main concern right now is our employees and, of course, the community,” Lorraine Matthew said. “We are very much thankful for the outpouring of love and support.”
In addition to phone calls she has received, Lorraine Matthew noted an outpouring of support from the community as individuals stopped by the company’s headquarters throughout the day today.
“About 75 to 80 people already came through just to hold our hands, to hug us, to just give us words of encouragement to keep forging on, that they need us within the community, so they don’t want this to hinder us from going forward, and it’s not,” she said.
The Matthews expressed gratitude for the support they have received from the community and emphasized their resilience and commitment to rebuilding their business and replacing their damaged equipment.
“They can slow us down, but they cannot stop us,” Lorraine Matthew said. “We’re going to forge through.”
The Matthews said they are still assessing the damage and quantifying the loss, noting they have insurance coverage. While the Matthews turned over surveillance camera footage to assist investigators, WMA is working closely with law enforcement and other agencies to support the investigation and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
“VIWMA remains committed to overcoming this setback and fulfilling our mission of providing reliable waste management services for the Virgin Islands,” the WMA statement reads. “We urge the community to remain vigilant and united as we address this matter together.”
