Johnston Police Log

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

ATTEMPTED BREAKING AND ENTERING

Patrolman Michael A. Schiappa and another officer responded to CVS at 26 Putnam Ave. the morning of April 16 for the report of an alarm.

Upon arrival, Schiappa observed two large cracks in the front left window of the entrance doors of the business. While on scene at CVS, Schiappa said he observed a man in the parking lot of Walgreens at 25 Putnam Ave. attempting to gain their attention by beeping his car horn and yelling. At the same time, Schiappa saw a vehicle exiting the parking lot of Walgreens at a high rate of speed traveling westbound on Putnam Avenue with a white male operator. Schiappa said he was unable to see a registration plate.

Schiappa then went to Walgreens to speak with the main attempting to gain their attention, at which point he was informed by the man that he was driving at work to open the store. Upon opening the front door, he said that he could hear a banging noise in the back of the store. The man said that when he arrived at the back of the store, he saw a young white man with long brown hair in a gray sweatshirt smashing the back pharmacy window of Walgreens.

The man then said the suspect then noticed him and entered a car to flee the parking lot at a high rate of speed. The reporting party said that was when he noticed police presence across the street at CVS and attempted to get their attention.

Schiappa said that, while speaking with the man, he observed a car matching the description of the suspect vehicle enter the parking lot of CVS and drive around the building. Schiappa then responded back to CVS at which time the car was not attempting to exit the CVS parking lot. He said he turned on his overhead emergency lights and sirens and pulled in front of the vehicle in an attempt to block it from exiting the parking lot.

Schiappa said he exited his cruiser and ordered the operator of the SUV to stop. He said he observed the operator to be a white man in his late teens with a gray sweatshirt and long brain hair. The operator then turned his vehicle around the cruiser and began to accelerate westbound down Putnam Avenue.

Schiappa then pulled behind the SUV with his overhead emergency lights and sirens still engaged and continued to pull the vehicle over, but he was refusing to stop. Schiappa said the vehicle accelerated up to 60 mph and was crossing over the center median as it passed vehicles traveling westbound on their left side.

He continued to pursue the vehicle for a half-mile westbound on Putnam Avenue until the SUV pulled into the parking lot of Cancun Restaurant at 175 Putnam Ave., at which time the vehicle came to a stop.

Schiappa said he ordered the operator to hold his hands out of the driver’s side window. Another officer arrived on scene to assist in ordering the driver out of the car and on to the ground.

While lifting the operator – later identified as Michael Gosetti, 18, 32 Binghampton St., Johnston – off the ground, Schiappa said Gosetti told them, “Alright, you win. You caught me. I only broke the windows, I never stole anything.”

The reporting party later confirmed that Gosetti was the same suspect he observed earlier at Walgreens with complete certainty.

Gosetti was arrested and charged with two felony counts of attempted breaking and entering and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving/eluding police. Gosetti was released on $2,000 personal recognizance, and his pre-arraignment conference was scheduled for July 16.

EXPIRED LICENSE

Patrolman Matthew Winsor identified a vehicle operator as Gary DiLorenzo, 57, 19 Winsor Lane, Johnston, at a stop the morning of April 18.

Winsor said a Division of Motor Vehicles check revealed DiLorenzo had an inactive driver’s license that expired on July 31, 2012. Winsor said that as a result of DiLorenzo having two prior arrests for driving with a suspended license in 1996 and 1997, he was charged with driving with an expired license or without a license, third or subsequent offense.

DiLorenzo was released on scene with a Third Division District Court summons to appear on June 8.

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