ST. CROIX — The white Mercedes Benz that has reportedly been targeting pedestrians in hit-and-run incidents on St. Croix, specifically in Frederiksted, has been impounded and police are closing in on arresting a person of interest, according to a police official.
Glen Dratte, Virgin Islands Police Department spokesperson, said police have been investigating a series of vehicular hit-and-run physical assaults that have taken place in the past few weeks.
“We have a person of interest for an incident that took place and as the investigation continues, we’ll be able to make the confirmation if all those incidents are related,” he said.
Cleo Taylor, 39, a 155-pound Black woman who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall with brown hair and eyes, is wanted by the VIPD in connection to a third-degree assault. Originally from Washington, D.C., Taylor is known to frequent Frederiksted town and Estate La Grange.
Dratte said Taylor is a person of interest who is wanted in connection to a hit-and-run incident in which a white Mercedes struck a pedestrian walking at 5:55 p.m. on October 23 in the parking lot of Pueblo in Estate La Reine.
Additionally, Dratte said police have reason to believe Taylor exited her vehicle around 6:30 a.m. on Friday in Estate La Grange and physically assaulted a woman who was walking down the street in an incident captured on the surveillance camera of a nearby resident. He said the white Mercedes was identified in the surveillance footage. He added that police impounded the vehicle from Taylor’s residence a couple hours after the incident.
The VIPD is investigating other reports in reference to a white Mercedes striking citizens throughout St. Croix.
On Friday, the “West Gyul” Facebook page posted a “community alert” that others were asked to share regarding an incident in Frederiksted during which a white car sped so closely past a pedestrian walking to Rainbow Beach that the pedestrian could have touched the vehicle. A police officer subsequently stopped to warn the pedestrian that “a woman has reportedly been attempting to knock down pedestrians in the West,” according to the post. The pedestrian believed the driver may have intentionally attempted to hit him/her if people were not present, urging the community to be alert.
The post, which has been shared more than 250 times, received over 100 comments, including individuals who detailed their own experiences with a white car targeting pedestrians.
Lost Dog Pub St. Croix posted that one of its co-owners was hit from behind by a white car at about 11 a.m. Wednesday while walking with a friend to Rhythm’s at Rainbow for lunch, resulting in a broken leg, severe bruising, and road rash. The post noted that a cruise ship passenger walking nearby was also swiped by the vehicle but not seriously injured, adding that there were multiple witnesses and the license plate is known.
Cherise Williams posted that her brother’s car was hit Wednesday night in Frederiksted town by a woman driving a white Mercedes.
Keila Medina posted that a woman driving a white car passed her so closely while she was walking last weekend in Christiansted town that the vehicle’s rear-view mirror hit her hand.
Edwin Christopher described an incident he experienced with a Black woman driving a white four-door Mercedes, posting: “It happened to me about 3weeks ago around 6am.”
Shelly Sokol Chapman wrote that her daughter was hit by a white car four weeks ago at Rainbow Beach, posting: “The car sped up hit her and then circled back and tried to hit me.”
Anyone with information on the location of Taylor or information on these incidents is encouraged to call 911, 340-778-2211, or Crime Stoppers VI at 1-800-222-8477.
