Police Log

Warwick Beacon ·

STOLEN AND RECOVERED TRUCK

On October 25 around 4 p.m., Officer Walter Larson was dispatched to the Centerville Road YMCA in reference to a stolen Ford F-250 truck.

There he met with the reporting party, who stated that the commercial truck registered to the Kent County YMCA was gone from the lot. He stated that the white truck had a wooden tailgate and a broken back window and that the passenger side running boards were missing.

The truck’s information and registration was entered into the police database and a report taken from the victim.

On October 25, the vehicle was recovered in Providence with no other visible damage and the license plates still attached. The truck was returned to the Kent County YMCA.

OUTSTANDING WARRANT          

A motorist speeding on Warwick Avenue was recently arrested for an outstanding warrant from the Third District Court.

On October 19 around 1:30 a.m., Officer Thomas Greene was on routine patrol near the CVS on Warwick Avenue when he observed a vehicle traveling northbound at a high rate of speed. Officer Greene then clocked the vehicle to find that it was going 52 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. He then initiated a traffic stop near Dryden Boulevard.

Upon stopping the vehicle he met with the driver, identified as Shaine Patrick, 24, of 160 Vallette Street in Cranston, who stated that he just had his license reinstated but did not have it with him. Returning to his cruiser to initiate background checks, Officer Greene found that the license was still suspended and that Patrick had a bench warrant out for his arrest.

Patrick was removed from his vehicle and handcuffed, then transported to police headquarters for processing. He was issued a summons for driving with a suspended license, speeding 10 miles per hour over the limit, and then waited to see the bail commissioner to be released.

FRADULENT CREDIT CARD USE

A victim of a credit card theft met with Officer James Vible at police headquarters on October 22 around 10:45 to report fraudulent transactions.

She told the officer that she last remembered using the Chase Visa card at the Coventry Walmart on October 17. She was later notified by the credit card company of four irregular transactions at the Bald Hill Road Target totaling $2,022.12, which she gave no authorization for.

The victim stated she had contacted her credit card company and cancelled the card. She was provided an identity theft packet by Officer Vible, which she was to complete. The case was then forwarded to detectives for review as a felony.

SUSPENDED LICENSE

Officer Ali Jaafar was traveling westbound on Elmwood Avenue on October 26 around 12:45 a.m. when he observed a vehicle swerving in and out of its lane and traveling on top of the fog line for some distance. With the vehicle also traveling 45 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone, the officer initiated a traffic stop near the Cranston city line.

The operator, Drew McDougall, 41, of 626 Allegheny Drive in Sun City, Florida, told the officer that he did not have his license with him. A background check revealed that McDougall’s Florida license was suspended.

He was issued a summons for driving with a suspended license and was given a warning about the laned roadway violations. A licensed operator was then called to the scene to retrieve McDougall and his vehicle.

LARCENY

A woman at the Burlington store at Rhode Island Mall recently found that her wallet was taken from her purse while she shopped.

Officer Quentin Tavares responded to the scene on October 14 just prior to 11 p.m. and met with the victim, who had been shopping in the men’s department. She told the officer that she placed her purse at one of the end caps of an aisle and accidentally forgot it for a few minutes while she walked away. When she returned to retrieve it, the purse was gone.

She advised the officer that she spoke with a store associate, who brought her to the front of the store. There, another employee informed the victim that the purse had been located. Checking through its contents, the victim soon discovered that her wallet containing her license, medical cards, Social Security card, credit cards and $300 in cash was gone.

Officer Tavares was taken to the store’s loss prevention office, where he viewed the store’s security videos. He saw the victim place the purse at the end of the aisle and walk away while shopping. He then observed a white male approximately six feet tall and roughly 200 pounds wearing a gray sweater with brown and black stripes look into the purse, remove an item, and then walk away. He then returned and looked into the purse again. An associate was later seen obtaining the purse and bringing it to the front of the store.

The male was then seen making his way to one of the store’s registers, where he purchased items using his own Visa card. The transaction was approved and the man exited the store, possibly with the wallet in his possession.

Officer Tavares asked that the store submit a copy of the video to the department. He was also able to obtain a receipt of the man’s transaction showing partial credit card information. The case was then forwarded to department detectives for further review.

SHOPLIFTING    

On October 12 around 10:30 a.m., Officer Darren Parrillo was dispatched to Bald Hill Road in the area of Rite Aid in reference to a shoplifting call from the store where the suspect had fled on foot.

Responding to the scene with other members of the department, a search for the suspect began. Officers were advised that the subject initially ran into the woods and crossed Toll Gate Road onto Commonwealth headed toward CCRI and College Hill.

A man fitting the description given by Rite Aid employees was spotted, and Officer Parrillo approached the suspect, who had numerous items of merchandise in his hands and on his person. The suspect, identified as Peter Michael Rivera, 26, of 26 Public Street in Providence, was then taken into custody.

The merchandise, valued at $349.97, was eventually recovered, and a written statement was provided by store security. Rivera was transported to police headquarters, where he was charged with one count of misdemeanor shoplifting.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

While on patrol on October 22 around 1 a.m. on Toll Gate Road, Officer Timothy Lipka observed a red pick-up truck drive past his location towards West Warwick and swerve over the road’s yellow lines twice. He then followed the truck down the road, where it made a lefthand turn towards Providence Street without signaling. Officer Lipka then initiated a traffic stop near the Speedway Gas Station.

The driver, identified as Ahmad Elshanawany of 4 Central Street in West Warwick, stated that he left a pub with his girlfriend and then went to a club in Cranston for a couple of drinks. He also stated that he had about four alcoholic beverages earlier in the evening and that he was now heading home.

Officer Lipka detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle and that Elshanawany’s eyes were bloodshot and glossed over.

Other officers were called to the scene for backup, and Elshanawany agreed to take a series of standardized sobriety tests. Based on Officer Lipka’s experience at the test’s conclusion, it was determined that Elshanawany was impaired and unfit to operate a motor vehicle safely.

Elshanawany was handcuffed and transported to police headquarters and his car towed away. At the station, he refused to take a chemical breathalyzer test. He was issued a summons for driving under the influence, first offense, for refusal to submit to a chemical breath test, laned roadway violations, and for failure to use a turn signal. He was processed and completed all paperwork and later released to the custody of a sober adult.