Police Log

SUSPICIOUS BULGES

On June 21 at approximately 5:37 p.m., Officer William Holz along with several members of the department were dispatched to the Bald Hill Road Walmart for a report of a shoplifting in progress. While en-route to the scene, dispatch advised that two male suspects were cutting open and removing products from the store’s shelves and concealing them. Walmart’s loss prevention team was also monitoring the suspects’ movements within the store.

Once on scene, officers took positions nearby to the store’s entrances and exits while security provided updates as to the men’s movements. One of the suspects, later identified as Scott Macreading, 27, of 103 Darrow Drive in Warwick, exited the store followed closely by a manager. According to the report, Macreading passed all points of sale without paying, and appeared to “have several non-anatomical bulges in his pants.” He was then taken into custody.

During a search of Macreading, numerous items from the store, valued at $143.41, were recovered. Also discovered were several pills, later identified as Xanax and Adderall. Macreading stated he had a prescription for the Xanax, but not for Adderall.

Shortly after Macreading was taken into custody the second suspect, later identified as Michael Marchetti, 27, of 85 Mystic Drive in Warwick, exited from the store and was also taken into custody. Officers recovered $257.81 from his person. Store personnel advised that the merchandise had been damaged and could not be resold.

While the suspects were in custody, one of the suspect’s cell phones, which was in plain view, received a text message stating something to the effect of “wtf how the hell did you steal a guitar.” Police then asked the men if they had also taken a guitar, and Macreading said they had previously taken a guitar from the Guitar Center on Bald Hill Road.

Consent was given to the officers to search Macreading’s vehicle in the parking lot. There, two electronic guitars were found. According to the police report, Macreading confirmed that they did shoplift both instruments earlier that day. Officers later responded to the Guitar Store, which confirmed that the guitars, valued at $399.99 and $599.99 were in fact their property. The items were then returned to the store.

Both suspects were taken to police headquarters where they were processed. Macreading was charged with one count of possession of a Schedule II drug, one count of possession of a Schedule IV drug, one count of shoplifting and one count of conspiracy. Marchetti was charged with one count of shoplifting and one count of conspiracy.

WRONG DRIVER FOR THE GOLF COURSE

Officers Matthew Smith and Damian Andrews were dispatched to Harbor Lights Marina & Country Club on Gray Street for a report of a suspect possibly drunk driving. Dispatch advised the officers that an intoxicated wedding guest began assaulting others and was being held by multiple staff members.

At the scene, the officers observed a red Ford F-150 truck that had its front and rear bumpers wedged in between two hills surrounding a drainage ditch on the golf course just off Gray Street. According to their report, officers also observed a large group of people holding down a subject on the hill. Several people told the officers that the man, later identified as James Johnson, 50, of 223 Providence Street in West Warwick, appeared to be intoxicated and that he had been driving on the golf course causing damage. The incident followed an apparent altercation at the end of the wedding that had escalated.

Witnesses also stated that Johnson has struck a Harbor Lights bartender in the face with his fist and was acting violently by punching, kicking, and attempting to bite staff members.

Johnson told officers that he was attacked by “all these young punks” and that he was driving on the golf course only to turn around. For safety, Johnson was taken into custody and placed in the police cruiser. While escorting him to the vehicle, officers detected a strong smell of alcohol and observed signs that Johnson was intoxicated.

Johnson stated he had approximately three to four drinks and was not drunk. Officers then observed a trail of tire marks several hundred feet long on the golf course, ending at Johnson’s vehicle. Witnesses told officers that Johnson and a woman passenger were seen driving on the course, and several staff members approached the vehicle to see what was going on. When the truck stopped, Johnson charged at the staff and punched one on the left side of his face before the group restrained the suspect. The female passenger fled before officers arrived. Staff also told the officers that there was video surveillance of the incident.

Johnson was then asked to partake in a series of standardized sobriety tests. Based upon the incident, the officers’ interactions with Johnson, and their training, it was determined that he was unfit to safely operate a motor vehicle. He was then placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence and transported to police headquarters. There, he refused to take a chemical breathalyzer test.

Based upon the events of the incident, Johnson was charged with driving under the influence, refusal to take a chemical test, simple assault, and two counts of vandalism/malicious injury to property. He was later released to a sober adult.

SEVENTH OFFENSE

While on routine patrol on West Shore Road near the Oakland Beach four corners intersection on June 30 around 6:30 p.m., Officer Jacob Elderkin observed a car traveling north with a driver who was not wearing a seatbelt.

Upon observing the violation, the officer ran a registration check and found that the license plate did not match the vehicle it was attached to. The officer then followed the car and initiated a traffic stop in front of Stop and Shop on Warwick Avenue.

There he made contact with the driver, identified as John Darosa, 27, of 83 Sterling Avenue in Providence. When asked for his license, Darosa stated it was suspended, and was also unable to provide any paperwork for the vehicle. He told the officer that he had just picked up the vehicle from an impound lot after it was towed as a result of him having a suspended license.

Background checks were then conducted, where it was discovered that Darosa had been convicted of driving without a license on approximately six prior occasions, making this incident his seventh. He was then removed from the vehicle and taken into custody before being transported to police headquarters as his car was towed.

Darosa was charged with driving on a suspended license, third and subsequent offense. He also received citations for improper use of registration and for not wearing a seat belt.  As he was on probation for charges out of Superior Court, a decision was made to hold Darosa on a probation violation.

SECOND TIME STOLEN

On June 20 at approximately 6 a.m., Officer Jeremy Smith responded to Falcon Avenue for a report of stolen tires and rims.

At the scene he met with the complainant, who stated that he had parked his Honda Accord at the residence the previous evening. The next morning he received a call from his neighbor that the car’s wheels had been stolen. He estimated the value of the tires and rims at a total of $4,000.

The officer observed that the car was left perched on two concrete blocks with the front end resting on the ground and lug nuts left in the driveway. There were no witnesses or available security footage. The victim told the officer that this was the second time in the past year that his tires and rims had been stolen, with the previous theft occurring in Cranston.

The report and case were forwarded to department detectives for further investigation.