Johnston Police Log, June 30, 2022

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following police log information has been taken from public record police incident and arrest reports provided by the Johnston Police Department.

CONSPIRACY

At 10:15 a.m., on June 9, Johnston Police were dispatched to a local business to investigate the report of a larceny.

Police on the scene were told that a man allegedly walked past the point of purchase without paying for a roll of electrical wire valued at $326. The man was identified as Leandro R. Luna, of 242 Pearl St., Providence. The store’s loss prevention officer had stopped Luna from leaving the property.

Loss prevention told police that Luna had been in and out of the store numerous times in the last week.

“He comes in and buys a roll of wire and steals one,” Johnston Police Sgt. Luca A. Lancellotti Jr. wrote in the arrest report. “He then returns the stolen wire with the purchased receipt and gets a cash refund.”

Luna was arrested without incident and charged with Shoplifting (a misdemeanor). He was transported to police headquarters where he was processed and later released with a Third District Court Summons to appear on July 18.

On the scene, Lancellotti told Johnston Police Officer Robert H. Cardoza that Luna was driven to the store in a gold pickup truck, which was occupied by a man who was also allegedly involved in the shoplifting incident, as well as other larcenies.

The man was located and identified as Jose Restituyo, of 156 Wendell St., Providence.

He was also taken into custody and transported to Johnston Police Headquarters. He was processed, allowed to use the phone, and charged with Conspiracy.

As Cardoza exited processing, with another officer, they noticed a “cone shaped plastic bag on the floor of the sally port.”

“It should be noted that I did not observe the bag on the ground when I initially entered the sally port,” Cardoza wrote in the arrest report. “Further investigation revealed 17 smaller baggies within the larger bag. The smaller baggies had a light brown substance contained within.”

Police suspected the substance was heroin. Police re-entered the holding area and removed Restituyo from his cell.

Police conducted a strip search, since Restituyo was allegedly “the last person to walk through the area.”

Police searched video footage, and say that Restituyo is the only person “to walk through the area prior to my entering and exiting the sallyport,” Cardoza wrote.

Restituyo was then also charged with Possession of Schedule I-V (Heroin).

ASSAULT ON PERSON OVER 60

Around 6:20 p.m., June 11, Johnston Police were dispatched to 9 Harbourd Road for the report of two men fighting. Communications personnel informed officers that one of the men was “in possession of golf club and was using it to assault the other male,” according to the arrest report.

Police arrived on the scene and saw a man standing in the front yard of the apartment building holding a golf club. He was ordered to drop the club, and he complied.

Johnston Police Officer Thomas Santurri spoke to the man, who told him that he was standing under his deck cleaning his cooler, while his next door neighbor was sitting above him on the next floor drinking beer.

Police identified the upstairs neighbor as James Arthur Mancini, of 9 Harbourd Road, Johnston.

The alleged victim told police that Mancini poured beer on him form above, which triggered a verbal altercation. The downstairs neighbor retaliated by spraying Mancini with the water hose, and Mancini allegedly told him, “I’m gonna get you for that.”

The victim told police Mancini allegedly walked down the stairs swinging a golf club, and struck the victim several times in the forearms. Police noted in the report that there were not any visible injuries and the victim refused medical attention from Johnston Fire personnel on the scene. The victim also told police that he was able to wrestle the club away from Mancini, and during the struggle, Mancini received a welt to his left cheek.

The victim told police that he began walking away from Mancini with the club, but Mancini picked up a stick and allegedly “proceeded to break his kitchen window with it,” Santurri wrote.

The window appeared to be shattered. The alleged victim told police he wished to pursue criminal charges.

Another officer checked the upstairs balcony and found a wet spot on the deck “that appeared to smell like beer,” according to the report.

“Therefore confirming (the victim’s) account of what took place,” Santurri wrote.

Mancini was “uncooperative on scene and appeared to be intoxicated,” according to police.

He was taken into custody and transported back to Johnston Police Headquarters, processed and held pending arraignment. Mancini was charged with Assault on Person Over 60 Years Causing Bodily Injury (a felony), Disorderly Conduct and Vandalism (both misdemeanors).

Mancini was arraigned later that night and released on $10,000 personal recognizance and given a Sept. 12 court date.

UNREGISTERED VEHICLE, NO LICENSE

At 8:50 p.m., June 11, Johnston Police Officer Thomas Santurri was traveling north on Mills Street when he spotted a black Acura TL without a front registration plate.

Police subsequently detained the vehicle in the area of 1361 Plainfield Street, and made contact with the driver, identified as Robert M. Black of 131 Garden St., Cranston.

Black allegedly told police that he did not have a driver’s license and he presented a Rhode Island identification card to police. A DMV check confirmed that Black did not have a valid driver’s license.

DMV records also indicated that the vehicle’s rear registration plate belonged on a black Toyota, and the car Black was driving has not been registered since 2012. The vehicle was searched and towed from the scene. Black was released at the scene with a district court notice to appear for a charge of Driving Without a License (third or subsequent offense). Black was also issued citation sfor Operation of Unregistered Vehicle, Improper Use of Evidence of Registration, and Display of Plates.

EMBEZZLEMENT

At 1:20 p.m., June 12, Johnston Police responded to 520 George Waterman Road in an attempt to locate Evelyn DeAngelis on active Johnston Police warrants alleging five counts of Embezzlement.

Upon arrival, DeAngelis, who lives at the address, answered the door. She was taken into custody without incident. She was processed and afforded an opportunity to make a telephone call. Due to DeAngelis having no criminal history, she was released from Johnston Police Headquarters with a Third District Court summons to appear on July 18.

DeAngelis faces five misdemeanor counts of Embezzle by Bank Officer or Employee (under $1,000).

HABITUAL SHOPLIFTING

At 2:48 p.m., April 28, Johnston Police responded to a local business to talk to a loss prevention officer who alleged a woman identified as Shannon N. Godbout, of 45 Blue Pond Trail, Hope Valley, entered the business on at 12:42 p.m., April 20, pushed a shopping carriage to the hardware section and loaded the cart with multiple power tools.

The tools included a Makita trim compressor, Makita 3/8” drill driver kit, a 27-gallon Tough Tote, a 20V max lithium-ion cordless combo kit and eight oscillating multi-tool blade kits (items valued at a total of $1,209.74). Godbout allegedly pushed her full carriage to the main exit, past all points of purchase, and exited the store, not making any attempt to purchase the items.

Loss prevention told police that she loaded the stolen merchandise into a gold Buick and fled the scene.

Police note in the arrest report that Godbout was identified via cross-agency checks, and comparing suspect descriptions. Police also note in the arrest report that Godbout was arrested by Cranston Police on April 24 and charged with Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Driving on a Suspended License and had an active arrest warrant for Felony Shoplifting out of the Narragansett Police Department. Godbout was allegedly driving a reported stolen gold 1999 Buick, like the one scene on video surveillance at the Johnston store.

According to the arrest report, written by Johnston Police Detective Thomas M. Dwyer, Godbout has 38 previous charges on her Rhode Island BCI, including Robbery-First Degree, B&E, Possession of Schedule I-V, and 10 Shoplifting charges. A search of her Massachusetts BCI also found two previous charges for Shoplifting and Larceny Over $250.

Police were unable to locate or make contact with Godbout, but they prepared an affidavit and arrest warrant charging her with Felony Shoplifting and Habitual Shoplifting.

Around 12:30 p.m., on June 13, Johnston Police responded to Superior Court to pick up Godbout, and transport her to Johnston Police Headquarters, where she was processed and later transported to Third District Court.