Police have arrested a man suspected of killing an American woman during a cruise stopover in Antigua.
The man is suspected of stabbing the 29-year-old victim in the neck and leaving her body near a well-known beach.
This murder is the latest in a string of high-profile crimes against tourists in Antigua. Is the island a safe place to visit? Keep reading for more details.
According to police, Tishara Daniel, the 24-year-old Dominican suspect, has confessed to stabbing Nina Nilssen, who was making a call in Antigua on a cruise celebrating her sister’s wedding.
The suspect allegedly attacked Nilssen after she strayed from a beach barbecue by herself on January 19.
Roughly 6 million Americans visit the Caribbean every year with reports of violent crime few and far between. But when incidents do occur, they usually get a lot of attention.
Antigua was in the headlines last year when an Australian man was shot and killed while walking with his girlfriend and daughter. In 2008, a honeymooning British couple was shot and killed in their room at Antigua’s at Cocos Bay Resort and Sandals Hotel in an apparent robbery.
These incidents have caused some to doubt whether the island is a safe place to visit.
Star Clippers, the line on which Nilssen was cruising, announced today that it will replace calls in Antigua with stops at Nevis, another Caribbean island. Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises are slotted to make calls in Antigua in the near future. Last year, Carnival announced it would stop sailing to Antigua, though it didn’t cite crime as a factor; the Carnival Victory made its last stop to the island in early January.
If you’re getting ready to travel abroad, don’t let a destination’s reputation discourage you from visiting—as long as you travel smart. Remember, even the safest cities have high-crime areas, so always use the same common sense on the road as you would at home.
By Dan Bence for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: Dominica News Online, Antigua Sun, USA Today
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