Police Log

SHOPLIFTING

On Dec. 14 at 4 p.m., officers responded to Home Depot, 100 Stone Hill Drive, for a report of shoplifting.

The suspect, identified as Edward Fortuna, 63, of 104 Park Forest Road, Cranston, left the store with a vacuum cleaner, valued at $279, and contractor bags at 2:50 p.m.

Within an hour, Fortuna returned to the store with a shopping cart. He placed a mini fridge ($137), three sets of LED Christmas lights ($19.98 each), and another set of contractor bags ($29.97) into the cart.

He passed all points of purchase before being approached by a loss prevention employee in the parking lot. He was escorted to the loss prevention office and detained until police arrived.

He was transported to Johnston Police Headquarters and is being charged with two counts of Shoplifting. He was released from custody with a 3^rd District Court Summons and a No Trespass Order for Home Depot.

DRUG POSSESSION

On Dec. 13 at 6 p.m., police observed a black Audi SUV parked at a gas pump at Johnston Gas, 1209 Hartford Ave., with an expired New Jersey temporary registration tag.

The female in the driver’s seat began reversing the vehicle, striking “the metal barrier protecting the gas pump causing major front-end damage and a large amount of fluid to leak from the front of the vehicle,” according to police.

An officer approached the vehicle and asked if the female driver had any injuries, to which she replied that she did not.

The male in the passenger seat, identified as Christian Dure, 30, of 6 Frances Ave., Johnston, began fleeing from the vehicle at a “rapid walking pace” as the officer approached, causing the officer to believe Dure was “attempting to discard something.” The officer ordered Dure to return to the gas station.

Another office who responded to the scene “located a pill bottle with a white powdery substance that could not be identified on scene,” according to police. The substance was seized and later tested positive for cocaine.

The officer also found another bottle with 39 white pills without any numbers or letters on them, leading the officer to believe they were pressed with fentanyl. The pills were seized and pending testing.  Additional bags containing white a powdery substance and a white rock like substance were discovered.

The officers placed Dure under arrest and is being charged with Possession of Schedule I-V (Over Ten Grams). On Dec. 16, he was arraigned and given a $3,000 surety bail.

LARCENY

On Aug. 24, police were dispatched to Market Basket, 1300 Hartford Ave. for the report of a larceny. An employee notified the officer that three individuals walked out of the store with $1,000 worth of Induveca salami (packages valued at $19.99 each). The employee saw the individuals enter a black Hyundai Kona.

On Dec. 17 at 11:05 a.m., one of the individuals, Michael Lonardo, 36, of 43 tweed St., Cranston, was identified during a traffic stop after checks revealed the active warrant from the Johnston department for shoplifting. He was also found to have a suspended driver’s license. He was transported to Johnston Police Headquarters.

He was arraigned in 3^rd Division District Court and was issued a $3,000 personal recognizance bail and an additional $1,000 personal recognizance bail on the new charge. He was also issued a No Trespass Order for the Market Basket on Hartford Avenue.

Editor’s Note: The preceding police log information has been taken from arrest reports provided by the Johnston Police Department.