Police Log - 02/27/20

The Police Log is a digest of reports provided by the Johnston Police, Rhode Island State Police and other departments.

BREAKING AND ENTERING

Patrolman Arthur Petteruti responded to a redacted address the morning of Feb. 19 in reference to a breaking and entering.

Petteruti said he spoke with the calling party upon arrival, who said she was informed on the above date that a large roll of copper was stolen from inside the residence. She told Petteruti that she reviewed surveillance footage the showed the suspect’s vehicle enter the driveway the morning of Feb. 17. She then said she observed a man enter the residence without her permission and later exit the residence with a roll of copper about five minutes later. Petteruti said the woman told him she recognized the party as Leo J. Levesque Jr., 56, 298 Broadway St., Providence. Petteruti later reviewed the footage himself and witnessed the same findings.

Petteruti noted that Levesque did no have permission to enter the residence and was not contracted to work there. The calling party said she knew Levesque from previous electrical work at another location. The woman estimated the cost of the copper at about $1,500.

She told Petteruti she received a phone call from Levesque, at which time he apologized for stealing the copper and admitted to selling it to an unknown scrap yard.

While speaking with the calling party on scene, Petteruti said she received a text message from Levesque saying, “yeah I feel terrible about the situation I really want to pay it back if you allow me to I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart honestly.” A photo of the text was taken and later uploaded into the report.

Levesque was later arrested and charged with felony breaking and entering.

SUSPENDED LICENSE

Patrolman Michael A. Martufi Jr. was on patrol at the intersection of Putnam Avenue and George Waterman Road the morning of Feb. 22 when he was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident.

When Martufi arrived, he said that both vehicles had been moved off the roadway into the parking lot of Advanced Auto at 10 Putnam Ave. for safety purposes. He said that Johnston Fire Department Rescue was on the scene evaluating the drivers for injuries.

Christian Nieves Sanchez, 24, 170 Dodge St., Providence was identified as the operator of the first vehicle, which sustained a minor scrape to the passenger’s side panel but remained drivable. The second vehicle had a minor scrape to the front bumper but also remained drivable, Martufi said.

Martufi said he asked what happened and Nieves Sanchez was first to speak, saying he was traveling west on Putnam Avenue and that, as he was passing through the green light at the intersection of Putnam and George Washington Road, the front bumper of the other car inched its way into the intersection from the parking lot of Walgreens, resulting in a side-swipe collision.

Once Martufi was done speaking to Nieves Sanchez, he talked with the other party, who provided an account contradictory to Nieves Sanchez’s. The other person said his vehicle was stopped in the parking lot of Walgreens, waiting for the light to turn green and he insisted that the front bumper was safely behind the white line.

Martufi said the man believed that Nieves Sanchez veered his vehicle to the right, over the white line, causing the passenger’s side panel of his car to swipe the front bumper of the second vehicle.

Martufi said that, based on the circumstances, lack of evidence and contradictory statements, he was unable to determine if the second vehicle had pulled too far forward into the intersection or if Nieves Sanchez had veered over the white line. Subsequently, no traffic citations were issued.

While checking data on both drivers, Martufi discovered that Nieves Sanchez’s license was suspended. He was released with a District Court summons, and a later check showed Nieves Sanchez had two prior convictions. Martufi said the summons was updated to reflect the misdemeanor charge of driving with suspended license, third offense.