Caribbean Man Arrested For Selling Stolen Goods Back to Victim

In St. Thomas, a man faces felony charges after he allegedly tried to sell stolen items back to their rightful owner. John David Turnick Jr. was arrested following a peculiar incident at Neomi’s Car Wash on February 14, where he is accused of attempting to sell a power inverter that had been previously stolen from the vehicle of a local business owner.

Police Arrive On Scene

The situation unfolded when police were called to the car wash to meet with the owner of a nearby mechanic shop. She told authorities that a few days prior, someone had burglarized her Nissan Pathfinder, making off with several items, including the power inverter, while her vehicle was left unlocked.

The situation took a surreal turn on Valentine’s Day when Turnick allegedly approached the businesswoman with an offer to sell a power inverter. The victim quickly realized that the item was, in fact, the one stolen from her vehicle. She confiscated the power inverter from Turnick and immediately contacted 911 for help.

Caught In The Act

Upon making contact with Turnick, police report that he admitted to attempting to sell the power inverter and also confessed to possessing additional items taken from the victim’s car, such as a speaker, flashlights, and a hammer. Although Turnick initially claimed to be the perpetrator of the theft, he later suggested during questioning at the Ancilmo Marshall Command Police Station that he had received the stolen goods from another individual, whom he refused to name.

Following these admissions, Turnick was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property. He was unable to post the initial $25,000 bail set and was subsequently remanded into custody.

During a court hearing on Thursday, Magistrate Yolan Brow Ross upheld the charges against Turnick and maintained the set bail amount. Should Turnick manage to post bail, he will be placed under house arrest and monitored electronically until the resolution of his case.

Turnick’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 6.

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