Johnston Police Log

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

FELONY ASSAULT

Marisol Iacovelli, 19, 83 Canario Drive, Warren, and Abigail Baez, 25, 92 Roosevelt St., Warwick, responded to Johnston Police headquarters on the evening of Sept. 13, at which time they were placed under arrest.

Iacovelli was charged with felony assault and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, while Baez was charged with a misdemeanor count of simple assault or battery.

Their arrests stemmed from an incident that occurred earlier in the evening, when Patrolman Michael Schiappa and several other officers responded to Bel-Air Motel at 2154 Hartford Ave. for a report of a woman breaking the front window of a motel room. Upon arrival, Schiappa said he spoke with the calling party, who said that he was inside his rented room when he heard the front window shatter. The man said he saw a large amount of glass fall inside the motel room, confirming the front window to be broken.

Schiappa said the man told him he heard loud yelling outside his door, at which time he exited and saw Iacovelli standing on the front walkway holding a baseball bat. The man said that, at this time, his son exited the room and yelled at the woman to leave the property. Then, at this time, a pickup truck pulled into the parking lot with multiple women inside yelling toward the man and his son.

Schiappa said the man noted that a woman in the truck threw two glass bottles toward him, and one struck him in the right leg. He said, at the same time, Iacovelli swung at him with the bat, and he lifted his left arm to block the alleged attack. He said that Iacovelli then returned to the vehicle and it left the scene. Another witness confirmed the man’s details of the story.

Schiappa said he viewed cell phone footage on the scene that clearly showed Iacovelli swing the bat, and he observed multiple bottles being hurled toward the man. The video did not show who threw the bottles, though.

While being processed, Baez said the man “deserved it, he deserved worse.” Iacovelli said, “He always does it to us so we do it back to him.”

Iacovelli was arraigned and released on $10,000 personal recognizance with a Sixth Division District Court pre-arraignment conference set for Dec. 7. A no-contact order with the victim was issued on Iacovelli.

Baez was arraigned and released on $1,000 personal recognizance with a Third Division District Court date of Sept. 21. She received the same no-contact order. SHOPLIFTING

While on patrol on the afternoon of Sept. 11, Patrolman Matthew Laveillee observed a man known to him as Thomas Zarra, 29, 6 Victoria Mount St., Johnston, walking east.

Laveillee said he was advised earlier by Detective Thomas Dwyer that Zarra had an active Johnston Police warrant for shoplifting and conspiracy. Procedural checks confirmed the warrant, as well as a Third Division District court bench warrant for failure to appear/technical violation. The officer took Zarra into custody without incident, and he was issued a Third Division District Court summons to appear Nov. 9.

Zarra’s arrest stems from an alleged incident that occurred Sept. 5 at Home Depot on 100 Stone Hill Drive in Johnston. Dwyer said he spoke with the loss prevention officer, who told him that Zarra and another person had entered the store’s garden department at around 3 p.m. On video, Dwyer said Zarra removed his sweatshirt and selected several electrical items and concealed them into his sweatshirt.

Dwyer said Zarra then placed the sweatshirt with concealed items into the top portion of the shopping carriage and proceeded to walk back to the garden department where he moved past the checkout area without any attempt to purchase the items.

The man told Dwyer he was familiar with Zarra and the other party, who have no-trespass complaints from the Providence and Seekonk, Massachusetts, locations. Seekonk Police had posted that their department had previously arrested Zarra for said shoplifting charge.