Police Log

Posted 3/10/16

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

PEDESTRIAN

STRUCK & KILLED

Warwick police responded to a car and pedestrian accident in the area of 1162 Main …

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Police Log

Posted

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

PEDESTRIAN STRUCK & KILLED

Warwick police responded to a car and pedestrian accident in the area of 1162 Main Ave. at 9:30 a.m. on March 9. The Traffic Division’s Accident Reconstruction team is investigating the accident, which involved one vehicle and an 83-year-old male pedestrian who resides in Warwick. The pedestrian was transported to Rhode Island Hospital by Warwick Fire Rescue with serious injuries. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short time later at 9:54. The identity of the pedestrian is not being released at this time pending notification to family members as well as the identity of the vehicle operator.

The initial investigation has disclosed that the pedestrian was crossing Main Avenue when he was struck by the vehicle, which was traveling eastbound in the right lane. The pedestrian was not in a crosswalk when struck. The vehicle, a 2009 Toyota Corolla, was being operated by a 92-year-old female resident of Warwick who was alone in the vehicle at the time of the collision. At this time neither speed nor alcohol appear to be factors in the collision and criminal charges are unlikely.

Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the accident is requested to contact Sgt. Earl Read of the Warwick Police Department Traffic Division at 468-4293 or Traffic Officer Gregory Johnson at 468-4305.

BROKEN CAR WINDOW

On March 6 at 4:53 p.m., Officer Javier Cabreja was dispatched to City Park for a report of malicious damage to a vehicle.

Upon arrival, Cabreja met with a woman, who said she arrived at the park around 3:50 p.m. and met with a friend to walk three miles for about an hour. She came back to the parking lot located near the entrance of the park and noticed her passenger side front window had been smashed in. There was additional damage to the door where the window was broken. Nothing of value was taken from the vehicle. Cabreja said she had what looked like a pocketbook visible but it only contained makeup. She believed that this may have prompted the suspect to break the window.

Cabreja said neither the woman nor anyone else on scene was able to locate a witness or the suspect who committed the crime. The woman said she would like to press charges regarding the incident. Cabreja said this was the second documented incident that day regarding a smashed passenger side window at City Park. The woman’s vehicle was a 2004 black Nissan Maxima.

The estimated value to repair the window was $500. The report will be forwarded to detectives. There is no suspect data available at this time.

SHOPLIFTING

On March 3 at 5:57 p.m., Officer Christian Vargas was dispatched to JC Penney for a report of an adult female in custody. Upon arrival, Vargas met with a loss prevention officer, who said she observed a female, later identified as Victoria Lima, 25, of 10 Lima Drive, Westerly, in the Sephora section of the store. Lima was seen holding a Sephora bag and several brushes she had previously selected, then turned her back to the camera and appeared to remove the brushes from the packages and put the packages back in the display. Lima then selected three more items, two Tarte and Benefit Erase Paste, and concealed those items along with the brushes in the Sephora bag she was already carrying.

Lima then returned some other items at the register and exited the store, passing all points of sale and making no attempt to pay for the concealed merchandise. Loss prevention then approached Lima and escorted her back to the office. The concealed merchandise recovered totaled $175. Loss prevention said JC Penney did wish to prosecute.

Vargas said Lima was cooperative. She was taken into custody and later transported to Warwick Police Department headquarters, where she was photographed, processed, and issued a Third District Court date for one count of shoplifting (first offense).

DUI & REFUSAL

On March 3 at 2:18 p.m., Officer Tomas Bogusz was dispatched to the area of 1272 West Shore Road for a report of a motor vehicle accident.

Upon arrival, Bogusz observed a 2010 black Chevy Malibu stationary on West Shore Road in the breakdown lane facing eastbound with damage on the passenger side front end and front door. A second vehicle, a 2003 tan GMC Sierra, was in the driveway of 1272 West Shore Road. Bogusz said he saw the operator of the Chevy standing next to his vehicle. When asked if he was fine, the man said yes. He told the officer he was traveling east on West Shore Road and was trying to make a right turn into the driveway, but as he began to make the turn he was hit on the passenger side front end door by another driver. He said he immediately stopped and got out of his vehicle to survey the damage and called for an officer to come out to the scene. He told Bogusz the operator of the pickup truck seemed stuttery and not very lucid. He said that operator quickly tried to give him his license and info.

Bogusz said he observed the second operator, later identified as Peter L. Wilson, 60, of 11 Oakside St., Warwick, standing on the side of his truck and leaning against it. When asked what happened, Wilson said he was traveling behind the black Chevy on West Shore Road when the thought the vehicle had its left turn blinker on, at which time Wilson attempted to pass on the right side when the vehicle in front of him made a right turn resulting in both vehicles colliding. Bogusz said he could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Wilson’s breath, and when asked to step away from his truck, he was unable to keep his balance and started leaning backwards and had to put his arm out to keep from falling.

Bogusz requested other units respond to the scene to assist, and after Officer James Vible arrived to speak with Wilson and conduct a DUI investigation, Bogusz then spoke with a witness to the accident. The witness told Bogusz he was standing in his living room facing West Shore Road when he observed his friend making a right hand turn into his driveway at 1272 West Shore Road, and as he did so a light brown pickup truck attempted to pass on the right side and as a result collided with the vehicle. The witness said he went outside to check on his friend and the other operator, later identified as Wilson. While speaking with Wilson, the witness said he was stuttering, could not stand up straight, and had a strong odor of alcohol resonating from his breath. After speaking with the witness, Bogusz remained behind to wait for a tow truck.

While speaking to Wilson, Vible said Wilson apologized for the accident, saying he was trying to “pass a kid” and didn’t have enough room. Wilson told Vible he suffered a stroke about a year ago and was on at least eight different prescribed medications for various illnesses and conditions, one of which was diabetes and a vein disease in his legs that causes him to be unsteady on his feet. When asked if he had taken his medications that day and if they make him drowsy, Wilson said he had taken them but they don’t make him drowsy. Vible said he was able to detect the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from Wilson’s breath and he had slurred speech. When asked if he had anything to drink, Wilson said he had vodka with cranberry juice with his oatmeal that morning around 8. Wilson then agreed to submit to a series of standardized field sobriety tests, which he refused to perform partway through and also refused to submit to a breath test. Based on the elements of the accident, witness testimony, and Wilson’s admittance to drinking vodka, he was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and/or drugs and transported to Warwick police headquarters.

Vible said it should be noted while en route, Wilson started yelling apologies for causing the accident and said, “I been drinking all morning cause my girl took my disability money.” Once at headquarters, Wilson refused to submit to a chemical test. He was processed accordingly and issued the following violations: driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (first offense, B.A.C. unknown), with a mandatory Third District Court date; refusal to submit to a chemical test (first offense), with a mandatory Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal court date; and overtaking on right, also with an R.I. Traffic Tribunal court date. Wilson was released to a sober adult at about 3 p.m. with his violations and a District Court summons.

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  • RISchadenfreude

    What a double tragedy- a man killed, and the responsible party being someone of very advanced age; it's a terrible shock to the system and psyche of anyone to be responsible for taking a life, but particularly hard on the elderly.

    One has to wonder how old you need to be before the DMV determines that the skills and reaction time of a driver have declined to the point where their license is revoked; I read years ago about an incident in Newport where a 94-year-old motorist died at the wheel and drove into a house.

    Thursday, March 10, 2016 Report this