Johnston Police Log

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

STOLEN VEHICLE

Patrolmen Arthur Petteruti and Thomas Pederzani and Detective Anthony Sasso responded to Sky View Motor Inn at 2880 Hartford Ave. on the morning of Jan. 24 in reference to the well being of animals inside a vehicle.

Upon arrival, Petteruti said he was greeted by Michael Fitts, 66, of Lake Wylie, South Carolina. Petteruti said Fitts told him that the cats in the vehicle were his and he was attempting to find a shelter for them. He had been residing in his room for between three and four days.

Petteruti conducted a records check for Fitts, which showed an active warrant out of South Carolina for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, but the warrant was not extraditable. A DMV check showed that the vehicle was entered into the system as stolen, and it was later towed away.

While on scene, Petteruti observed that Fitts had physical possession of the ignition keys in his pocket, and saw him remove his belongings from the vehicle. Fitts was arrested on a charge of felony possession of a motor vehicle.

Fitts was arraigned and released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail with a Third Division District Court date of April 23.

DUI

Sgt. Remy Mendez and Patrolman Robert Cardoza responded to 2343 Plainfield St. on the afternoon of Jan. 22 for a report of disorderly conduct.

Upon arrival, Cardoza said he spoke with the alleged victim, who said he had responded to the aforementioned address to retrieve a vehicle from Jeffrey Lapointe, 65, 2 Chapel Lane, Lincoln, who had been doing repairs on his car. The man said that when he met Lapointe, he could smell alcohol in the car and saw three empty beer containers in plain sight.

At that time, the man became irate and opened the driver’s side door, ordering Lapointe to “get the [expletive] out of my car.” Cardoza said the man told him that Lapointe became angry and reversed the vehicle while the driver’s side door was still open and nearly struck him with it. Lapointe then left the scene at a high rate of speed, and the man said that as he attempted to leave the property, the vehicle swerved and crashed into the front left corner and excavator. Cardoza wrote that it caused damage to the driver’s side front bumper and quarter panel of the vehicle, while the excavator was not damaged.

Cardoza said he and Mendez found Lapointe laying in mud attempting to hide under a construction trailer. While speaking with him later, Cardoza said he detected the odor of alcohol emanating from Lapointe’s breath. He said Lapointe’s eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred and mumbled. Lapointe was also swaying from side to side and his feet were unsteady while walking.

When asked if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages that day, he reportedly said, “I had about two or three beers this morning.” He is said to have agreed to undergo a series of standardized field sobriety tests, but was unable to complete the horizontal gaze test and could not participate in neither the walk-and-turn nor the one-leg stand because of a recent surgery.

Lapointe was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, fist offense, .15 or greater. He was issued a Third Division District Court summons for Feb. 2.

SHOPLIFTING

Patrolman Thomas Pederzani and several other officers were dispatched to Home Depot for a larceny in progress on the afternoon of Jan. 24.

Prior to arrival on the scene, Michael Alemu, 26, Townsend, Massachusetts, was detained. On the scene, Pederzani met with the reporting party, a prevention loss officer with Home Depot, who said that she witnessed Alemu removing multiple tools from the hardware section of the store via video surveillance. The reporting party said she observed Alemu pacing tools in a box that was labeled mailbox kit, which he had taken from the store, in an attempt to conceal the property.

She told Pederzani that she watched Alemu load up the items in a cart in the store and eventually exit, passing all points of purchase. She also observed him flee the scene with the stolen property.

All of the stolen property was returned back to Home Depot personnel. A Division of Motor Vehicles check later revealed that Alemu’s license was suspended. He was charged with misdemeanor shoplifting and driving with a suspended license, a violation. Alemu was released with two Third Division District Court summonses to appear May 17.

SUSPENDED LICENSE

Patrolwoman Ashley Vanbemmelen was conducting a routine patrol on Hartford Avenue on the morning of Jan. 19 when she saw a vehicle stopped in the travel lane, allowing other motorists to pass in front of her.

The registration plate came back suspended, and Vanbemmelen conducted a motor vehicle stop to speak with the driver, identified as Shantel Thornton, 31, 10 Nestor St., West Warwick. Vanbemmelen later discovered that Thornton’s license was suspended earlier this month, and checks revealed this was her third offense.

After advising Thornton that she was under arrest for diving with a suspended license, she began to argue that she had already paid her fines. She presented Vanbemmelen with a court receipt that she paid her fines Dec. 30, but she never responded to the Division of Motor Vehicles to have her license reinstated. She said she did not have an upcoming appointment either. She was later released with a Third Division District Court notice to appear.

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Patrolmen Manuel Perez and Arthur Petteruti were patrolling the area of 1569 Plainfield St. on the morning of Jan. 20 when Perez noticed a vehicle with no front registration plate.

He conducted a motor vehicle stop and spoke with the driver, Johnjahhaas Delgado, 25, 92 Murray St., Providence. Checks showed that Delgado’s license was suspended, and this would be his third or subsequent offense. He was arrested and released from the scene with a Third Division District Court summons to appear May 10.

DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE

Patrolmen Michael Schiappa and Nicholas Manocchio observed a car with dark window tint on all of its windows, including the front windshield, on the morning of Jan. 20.

Schiappa conducted a motor vehicle stop in the area of 71 Greenville Ave., and upon approaching the vehicle he spoke with the driver, identified as Erick Perez, 34, 1485 High St., Central Falls. Perez told Schiappa he did not have an active driver’s license and had more than three previous convictions for operating a vehicle without one. Perez received a Third Division District summons to appear Feb. 25.

WARRANT

Patrolwoman Ashley Vanbemmelen was on a fixed post on Robert Circle on the evening of Jan. 22 when she saw a vehicle with a Maine registration plate traveling northbound at a high rate of speed.

She conducted a motor vehicle stop on Simmonsville Avenue, where she spoke with the operator, identified as Kevin Conklin, 31, 40 Baker St., Warwick. Conklin advised that his license was suspended, and a records check showed he did not have an active license. He did, though, have three prior convictions for driving with a suspended license. Vanbemmelen wrote that Conklin also had an active bench warrant stemming from a charge of driving with a suspended license. He was arrested and later issued a Third Division District Court notice to appear May 17.