Police Log

By DANIEL KITTREDGE

Crash leads to charges

A West Warwick man is facing charges after a late-night crash on Atwood Avenue last week.

Carlos Lizardo, 28, of 18 Hartman Court in West Warwick, faces counts of possession of cocaine, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (first offense), and refusal to submit to a chemical test.

He was released on $3,000 personal recognizance bail following his arraignment.

Johnston Police Maj. Frank Levesque said the crash occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19. He said a vehicle driven by a woman was traveling at a high rate of speed southbound in the area of 1075 Atwood Ave. when it left the lane of travel and collided with the vehicle driven by Lizardo.

Both drivers were subsequently hospitalized. No one else was involved in the crash.

“The accident remains under investigation, and additional criminal charges may be pending,” Levesque said.

Sgt. Joseph Salvadore reports being called back to duty that night in the capacity of a drug recognition expert after officers discovered a small bag containing what later tested positive as crack cocaine in the center console of Lizardo’s vehicle.

Officers also detected the odor of burnt marijuana in the vehicle, the sergeant reports.

Salvadore responded to Rhode Island Hospital, where Lizardo had been taken for treatment. Lizardo was advised he was being placed under arrest on the narcotics possession, the sergeant reports.

Lizardo also reportedly told police he had ingested neither alcohol nor marijuana that evening. Salvadore reports he administered the “horizontal gaze nystagmus test” used in field sobriety testing, and the results were “indicative of someone under the influence of cannabis.”

Lizardo reportedly refused to submit to a chemical test and requested to speak with his attorney. He was transported to Johnston police headquarters for processing on the morning of Aug. 20 after being released from the hospital.

DUI charges

Patrolman David J. Loffler reports responding to the area of Atwood Avenue and Cherry Hill Road at 6:44 p.m. on Aug. 18 to assist an off-duty North Providence officer with an erratic operator.

Upon Loffler’s arrival, the vehicle in question had been stopped in the Walgreen’s parking lot. The patrolman reports the operator had bloodshot eyes, that his “face was pale and his speech was slurred,” and that his “breath emanated a strong odor of an alcohol beverage.”

Loffler reports the operator agreed to a series of field sobriety tests, which he failed. The operator then reportedly agreed to a portable mouth alcohol test, but “would not propertly blow into the mouthpiece and covered it with his tongue.”

The operator was placed under arrest and transported to Johnston police headquarters, where Loffler reports he consented to chemical breath testing. The first test produced a blood alcohol content reading of .161, the patrolman reports, while the second produced a reading of .165.

Michael Hinsepp, 51, of 4 Groton St. in Johnston, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (first offense, .15 or greater) and reckless driving. He was released on $1,000 personal recognizance bail following his arraignment.

Patrolman Derrick Palazzo reports traveling northbound on Morgan Avenue just after 7 p.m. on Aug. 14 when he observed a vehicle with Rhode Island registration plates traveling southbound in the northbound lane.

“I was forced to swerve to my right to avoid a head on collision with said vehicle,” the patrolman reports.

Palazzo subsequently stopped the vehicle in the area of Morgan Avenue. He reports the operator had “extremely bloodshot eyes and flushed reddish face,” and “I could also detect a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath.” The operator reportedly apologized and made other “inaudible and extremely mumbled statements.”

Palazzo reports the operator initially consented to, and then refused to continue, field sobriety tests. He was then transported to police headquarters and consented to a breath test, but reportedly “attempted several times to manipulate the machine, by not blowing long enough or releasing his lips from the mouthpiece, subsequently rendering a deficient sample.”

A second breath test was then administered, reportedly producing blood alcohol content readings of .179 and .187.

Robert A. Lisi, 60, of 100 Monson St. in Johnston, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (first offense, .15 or greater). He was additionally issued several traffic citations.