Johnston Police Log

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

FELONY LARCENY

Patrolmen Cody Weaver and Michael Martufi responded to Rhode Island Superior Court on the afternoon of Feb. 4 to take custody of Mark Pine, 51, 26 Clarion St., Cranston, who was wanted on warrant issued from the Johnston Police Department on charges of felony larceny and misdemeanor vandalism.

Pine’s arrest stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred the morning of April 6, 2020, when Patrolman Matthew Winsor responded to a call for larceny and vandalism. The reporting party told Winsor that some time in the past day, an unknown suspect – later identified as Pine – broke the rear passenger-side window and stole all four rims and tires from a vehicle. Winsor was also told that the suspect had broken the rear driver’s side window of another car. The rims and tires were valued at $2,000 each, while the broken windows totaled $125 apiece.

Winsor said that, while on scene, he saw a possible fingerprint directly below the broken rear passenger window on the first vehicle. He said he also saw what appeared to be several small drops of blood on the rear passenger and driver’s side door of the vehicle.

DUI

Patrolman Arthur Petteruti responded to 2320 Plainfield Pike on the morning of Jan. 31 in response to a motor vehicle accident.

Prior to his arrival, Petteruti said Scituate Police personnel were on scene and removed the operator out of the driver’s seat. Upon arrival, he spoke with the driver, identified as Joseph Souza, 37, Aldelaidede Ave., Warwick. The officer said Souza told him that he was traveling on Plainfield Pike and didn’t recall the sequence of events leading up to the crash, and Petteruti noted that Souza’s car crossed the double yellow lines into the eastbound travel lane, striking a guard rail and coming to rest in an embankment.

While speaking with Souza, Petteruti noted that his speech was slurred, mumbled and raspy, and that he was nodding in and out. When asked if he was taking any prescription medication or had any alcohol, he reportedly said, “I stopped drinking at approximately 0330 hours,” with the rest of the quote redacted from the report.

Souza complied with standardized field sobriety tests, during which Petteruti observed his difficulty completing the walk-and-turn test as well as the one-leg stand. Souza did advise the officer of knee and hip pain from a previous incident.

Souza was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, second offense; refusal to submit to a chemical test, second offense; and operating under a foreign license, second offense. While at the station, Souza reportedly took a chemical breath test that read .000, but Petteruti determined that his actions were not consistent with a person who would show a clear BAC reading.

Souza was arraigned and released on $10,000 personal recognizance, and he was issued a video appearance for Third Division District Court on Feb. 2.

SHOPLIFTING

Patrolwoman Ashley Vanbemmelen wrote that Rhode Island State Police responded to JPD headquarters with Albert Rosario, 31, 218 Webster Ave., Providence, who was wanted on an active warrant stemming from two misdemeanor shoplifting counts.

Rosario’s arrest stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred Jan. 25 when Detective Thomas Dwyer responded to the Home Depot at 100 Stone Hill Drive. Dwyer met with the loss prevention officer in reference to two reported shoplifting incidents. He advised that Rosario, whom he referred to as a known offender, entered the Home Depot along with an unknown female party four days earlier. The reporting party said that Rosario was wearing a Milwaukee brand mask, and that he has posed as an employee/representative from Milwaukee on several occasions at other Home Depot locations.

While both Rosario and the woman were walking around the store, both were witnessed selecting multiple Milwaukee power tools and remove them out of the boxes and conceal them inside the woman’s bag and Rosario’s hooded sweatshirt. Minutes later, both were observed exiting the store, walking past all points of purchase without making any attempt to purchase the items totaling $1,285.

The second alleged incident occurred the next day, where they followed Rosario to the tool department and witnessed him conceal a Milwaukee drill valued at $299 under his sweatshirt and exit the store.

After he was taken to JPD headquarters, Patrolman Derick Ofori wrote that he observed a large bulk inside his socks on his right foot while in the processing room. He asked Rosario to take a seat and upon removing his socks, Ofori saw a gold keychain pill holder. He said that inside he found nine pills later identified as oxycodone. Rosario was subsequently charged with felony possession.