The Police Log is a digest of reports filed by the Warwick Police Department.

WHY THEY GET CAUGHT

Officer Matthew Higgins was on patrol in an unmarked cruiser in the area of East Avenue and Route 2 at 5:19 p.m. on Aug. 23, at which time he observed a vehicle traveling westbound and that appeared as though the operator was not wearing a seatbelt. Higgins said he ran checks on the plate and found that the registered owner was an older female not matching the description of the operator. He then ran a cross agency search and found that the operator was Joseph Silva III, 22, of 6101 Post Road, North Kingstown, which was confirmed with the use of a cross agency picture. Silva also had a bench warrant. Higgins initiated a stop of the vehicle and made contact with the operator, who identified himself as Joseph Silva but told the officer he did not have his license or any positive identification. After another officer arrived on scene, Silva was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody.

Upon returning to the vehicle to talk with the 17-year-old female passenger to check on the status of a licensed operator coming to take possession of it, Higgins said she flicked a lit cigarette out the window as he was speaking with her. Higgins then questioned the woman about the cigarette being thrown out the window due to the fact it was still lit and landed in a very dry area of grass off the highway, at which time she answered her phone. Higgins said he questioned her again about the cigarette and she looked up and said, “It’s only a ****ing cigarette, you just arrested my ****ing boyfriend.” She then continued her phone conversation. Higgins said the woman was issued a violation for Littering Prohibited with a Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal court date.

Silva was then transported to the Warwick Police Department headquarters, where he was booked and processed for the warrant, which was located and removed. Silva was later transferred to the A.C.I.

STOLEN GUITAR

Officer Brian Murray, along with other officers, was dispatched to the Guitar Center located at 1245 Bald Hill Road at 12:53 p.m. on Aug. 18 for the report of a subject trying to sell a stolen guitar. The suspect was described as a black male, age 25 to 30, wearing jean shorts, a white T-shirt and a hat. Upon arrival, the officers were met by the suspect, who was later identified as Earl Jackson, 25, of 397 Blackstone Street, Providence, along with two store employees. The employees advised officers they had received a heads-up email from the victim on Aug. 15 that his Dean Dimebonics ML custom guitar (with a black case) had been stolen from his vehicle in Providence. He also attached photos of the guitar with the email. The employees then positively identified the guitar Jackson was trying to sell as the same guitar due to the distinguished features.

Officers then spoke with Jackson, who said he was there to sell the guitar, which he had gotten from his father’s storage unit on the previous night. Officers then asked if they could contact his father to confirm his story, and Jackson said he was in the Guitar Center parking lot in a black vehicle, waiting for him. Murray said he checked the lot but was unable to find any male in any black vehicle. He said Jackson then became nervous once the officers advised him they could not find his father, and his story began to not make sense.

The victim was then contacted by telephone, who said he wished to press charges. Jackson was then taken into custody and transported to Warwick Police Department headquarters, where he was charged with one count of Receiving Stolen Goods (Under $1,500). The victim responded to the police station and positively identified the guitar, along with the case, and the hardware inside of the case as being the property that was stolen from his vehicle in Providence on Aug. 14. Photos were taken of the guitar and the case before being returned to the rightful owner.

SHOPLIFTING

Officer Quentin Tavares was dispatched to the Kohl’s Department Store at 650 Bald Hill Road at 4:06 p.m. on Aug. 24 for the report of a shoplifting. Upon arrival, Tavares spoke with the loss prevention supervisor, who advised he observed a female, later identified as Kelly Sierman, 36, of 26 Brownell Street, Warren, select various items of clothing from the display in the Misses Department. The supervisor said the woman then brought the items into the Misses fitting room, where she proceeded to conceal the merchandise in her purse, before heading for the exit, passing all points of purchase, making no attempt to pay for the concealed merchandise. Once she exited the store, she was approached by loss prevention and escorted back into the store, where all the concealed merchandise was recovered from her purse. In total, seven items were taken with a total value of $127.14. The supervisor advised Kohl’s wished to prosecute. After obtaining a written statement, as well as a receipt and photograph of the merchandise taken, Tavares said he placed Sierman into custody and transported her to Warwick Police Department headquarters, where she was fingerprinted, photographed and processed. She was later released on a District Court summons for one count of Shoplifting with a court date.