Police Log

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

POSSESSION

While on patrol in the area of Plainfield Street on April 24 around 2:05 p.m., Lieutenant Joseph Salvadore observed a car traveling westbound with a driver not wearing his seatbelt. A traffic stop was initiated and contact was made with the driver, identified as Christopher Arias, 28, of 113 Springfield St. in Providence.

Background checks were conducted, which revealed that Arias had an extensive history involving possessing and delivering narcotics. It was also discovered that his license was suspended. He was then removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest for the misdemeanor charge of driving with a suspended license. A search of the suspect produced a cell phone and a clear plastic baggie that had been ripped.

Arias’ front seat passenger was then removed from the car and escorted to the sidewalk. Background checks on the woman proved negative, and she did not have a driver’s license. While speaking with her regarding making arrangements for her to be picked up, Lt. Salvadore noticed she was shaking and her voice was cracking. Based upon the officer’s experience, he believed that she was trying to hide something from him.

She told the officer she had met Arias at a club. While speaking with her, the lieutenant noticed that Arias was staring at her from the cruiser he had been placed in, as if he was concerned about what the woman was telling the officer. Lt. Salvadore then asked if Arias had given her anything prior to them being pulled over. She stated that Arias had handed her a bag and told her to “check” it because he knew the police could not search her.

According to Lt. Salvadore’s report, he recognized that the term “check it” was slang for placing something in the buttocks, making it difficult for police to find during a search. Sergeant Megan Boulet then arrived on scene and searched the woman, which produced a clear plastic baggie the size of a baseball that contained assorted narcotics.

Lt. Salvadore then approached Arias and informed him of his rights and asked him about the drugs. Arias stated he didn’t know what the officer was talking about. He was then transported to police headquarters and his car was towed.

The confiscated bag was later determined to hold two grams of crack cocaine, twelve grams of fentanyl, eight 0.5-milligram Alprazolam pills, 73 two-milligram Alprazolam pills, and eight 325-milligram Hydrocodone pills, which were turned over as evidence.

Arias was on Superior Court probation from two separate narcotics arrest. He was charged with felony possession and placed in a holding cell pending arraignment.

ASSAULT

On April 24 around 12:20 a.m., Patrolman Jared DeAngelis responded to the area of PJ’s Pub at 198 Putnam Ave. in reference to an assault in progress.

While en route to the scene, dispatched advised that at white GMC Jimmy involved in the incident had fled the scene heading east on Putnam Avenue. Officer DeAngelis located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on Sherwood Road.

The operator identified himself as Matthew Houle, 28, of 218 Harris Road in Smithfield, and the passenger was identified as Steven Crossley, 30, of the same address. According to the report, both were identified as the offending parties.

According to the victim’s account of events, he stated that he walked into PJ’s pub and then into the bathroom. As he entered the restroom, he was jumped by Houle and Crossley. Initially, Crossley held the man down while Houle punched him, and then both men proceeded to punch the victim in the face before fleeing the area. Another witness corroborated the victim’s account of events.

Based on those statements, both Houle and Crossley were arrested and transported to police headquarters. Houle is currently on probation for larceny, and the vehicle he was operating was unregistered and subsequently towed. Both he and Crossley were charged with simple assault/battery.

UNRULY PATRON

Just after 4 p.m. on April 21, police units were dispatched to the Escada Bar on Putnam Avenue for a report of a disorderly male subject possibly brandishing a knife.

According to the complainant, she was working inside the bar when she notice a man, identified as Steven Martone, 54, of 146 Wadsworth St. in Providence, whom she has had problems with in the past. She informed Martone that he was not welcome in the establishment and asked him to leave, to which he replied “Go [expletive] yourself. I’ll leave when I’m ready,” and threw a bar chair on the ground.

Martone eventually stepped outside, where he began to spit on the front windows and door of the business. The complainant then approached Martone again and explained that he must leave the area or she would call the police. Martone refused and sat down on the front bench, where he began arguing with other patrons who were entering the bar and displayed a large knife from his waistband to one of the customers.

When officers arrived on scene, they found the suspect sitting on an outside bench and observed that the suspect had a knife/knife holster displayed on his front left hip. Patrolman Arthur Petteruti removed his taser and ordered Martone to the ground. When Martone refused to comply, Officers Petteruti, Michael Protano, and Richard Varan grabbed hold of the suspect’s arms, took him to the ground and placed him into custody while Officer Matthew Rado took possession of the knife.

A No-Trespass order was issued for Martone, who was informed he would be subject to arrest if he returned to the Escada Bar. He was issued a Third District Court summons for a weapons charge and disorderly conduct. He was later taken to the Smithfield Police Department for an outstanding warrant for larceny.

STOLEN TRAIN

AND MORE

Marcelino Perez, 38, of 1359 Plainfield St. in Providence, was recently arrested for misdemeanor larceny following a theft that occurred in Johnston in February.

On March 22, Officer Matthew Rado met with a victim to take a report of a larceny. According to the complainant, during the previous two months they had hired Perez as a contractor to do some work in their house. They informed the officer that they only had a verbal contract with Perez, who required a $350 deposit up front for the work with the remainder to be paid upon completion.

The homeowner stated that over the course of the work Perez asked them to buy certain tools so he could continue doing the job. The homeowner went to Home Depot and bought a tile saw blade, a tile trowel, and a jackhammer, and told the officer that they did not find this odd in any way.

After a few weeks worth of work, the resident noticed that a Thomas the Train toy was missing from inside the garage where Perez would use the tile-cutting machine. The next day, Perez was confronted about the toy and was asked if he took it. He stated that he had as he thought the child at home was no longer using it. The resident then asked Perez to bring the toy back the next time he was on site. During the next few weeks Perez kept stating he’d bring the train back but never did.

Then on Feb. 25, when Perez had completed work for the day, the resident noticed that the tile saw blade, trowel, jack hammer, a Bissell vacuum and a Leximarker printer were all missing from the garage. This was also the last day Perez came to the home, and he never finished the work inside the home. It was noted that no one witnessed Perez take any of the items, but they believed he was the suspect. The case was then turned over to detectives for review, and a warrant for Perez’s arrest was drafted.

On April 20, Patrolman Michael Protano conducted a traffic stop on Hartford Avenue for a car that had tinted windows, and identified the driver as Perez. He was arrested without incident and transported to police headquarters for the larceny charge and held for arraignment.