Police Log

Posted 4/12/16

BRACELET STOLEN

On April 1 at 4:47 p.m., Officer Mitchel Voyer responded to the Macy’s department store at Warwick Mall, 400 Bald Hill Road, for the report of a larceny.

Upon arrival, …

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Police Log

Posted

BRACELET STOLEN

On April 1 at 4:47 p.m., Officer Mitchel Voyer responded to the Macy’s department store at Warwick Mall, 400 Bald Hill Road, for the report of a larceny.

Upon arrival, Officer Voyer met with a man, who said he had purchased a $500 bracelet from the Macy’s jewelry department and was given a coupon for a free coffee at Starbucks. He went to Starbucks to get a coffee and placed the bag containing the bracelet on the counter. He then left Starbucks, accidentally forgetting his bag containing the bracelet. He stated that a few seconds later, he turned around and went back to the counter, but the bag was missing. He said that a young female was leaving Starbucks at the same time so he approached her, believing that she may have taken the bracelet. He said the female was very defensive and refused to let him look inside of her large purse; therefore, he called police.

Officer Voyer said he spoke with Macy’s loss prevention personnel, who allowed him to view surveillance footage, which showed a white female, approximately 18 to 25 years old, with long brown hair, wearing a gray sweater with a blue shirt underneath, make a cash transaction at the Starbucks counter. She then looks over and picks up the bag, which the man had left behind, and places the bag into her purse and leaves Starbucks. She then continued out of Macy’s into the mall.

The staff at Starbucks advised that the female said she was an employee at the mall and received a 10 percent discount. Macy’s loss prevention advised they did not recognize the woman. Mall security was called and advised they also did not recognize the female but would advise if they come across her. Macy’s loss prevention advised they would do the same.

Officer Voyer said he performed a walk through of the entire mall and was unable to locate the female. The case will be forwarded to detectives.

VEHICLE LARCENY

On March 25 at 11:30 a.m., Officer Russell Brown met with a man at Warwick Police headquarters in reference to a larceny from a motor vehicle that had occurred overnight.

The man said he parked his vehicle, unlocked, in front of his house on Adams Street around 7 p.m. on March 24. He went to bed around 1 a.m. on March 25 and woke up later in the morning. When he went out to his vehicle at 8 a.m., he found multiple items thrown around in his vehicle to include some of his credit cards. He indicated the credit cards had been stored in his wallet, which was left inside his vehicle. The man reiterated that the vehicle was left unlocked, as it was parked in front of his house overnight.

After looking through the vehicle, the man confirmed his Gucci wallet valued at $550 had been taken from the vehicle. The wallet was placed in the space between the driver’s seat and the middle console. A bag that he had in the back seat had been emptied out and taken from the vehicle. The man believed the bag was used to take the loose change that was stored inside the cup holder in his vehicle. The value of the loose change was approximately $12. He said a $2 bill and a $5 bill were also taken from the vehicle. There was a GPS in the glove compartment, which was left untouched along with additional valuable items. The man said he wished to pursue a complaint regarding the theft.

SHOPLIFTING

On April 3 at 4:31 p.m., Officer Quentin Tavares and other officers were dispatched to the TJ Maxx homegoods store at 1245 Bald Hill Road for the report of a shoplifting in progress. Prior to officers’ arrival, dispatch advised that loss prevention was currently watching a male within the store taking merchandise. She advised that the male was wearing a black jacket with a gray hat and gray pants. She advised that the male was approximately in his 20s and was stuffing items down his pants. She then advised he was beginning to leave.

Upon arrival, Officer Tavares went to the front of the store, where he observed a male fitting the description of the shoplifter running out the front door being chased by loss prevention. Tavares said he followed the male in his patrol cruiser, as he ran around vehicles in the parking lot. As the male began to tire, Tavares exited his cruiser chased him through the parking lot. He said the male stumbled then hid behind a vehicle. As Tavares came around the vehicle, he said he was able to grab the male and restrain him to the ground and placed him in handcuffs.

Officer Vargas arrived and assisted in holding the male while he was searched for the missing store items. Tavares said the items were found within the male’s pants, which were visibly enlarged from the items he had stuffed down them.

Loss prevention later advised the male in custody was the same one that was taking items in the store and the store wished to press charges for the items that were taken. Officer Vargas remained on scene to get a statement from loss prevention while Tavares transported the male, who was later identified as Trenton L. Wollard, 24, of 34 New London Avenue, West Warwick, to Warwick Police headquarters.

Officer Vargas then arrived at police headquarters with the statement from loss prevention, which said she had observed a male at approximately 4:26 p.m. in the store select a variety male merchandise and proceeded to conceal them in his pants. Items taken were four Ralph Lauren polo shirts, a few pairs of socks and other items. She said the male also stuffed items in his jacket. The male then went to the front of the store, passing all points of purchase and making no attempt to pay for the concealed merchandise. She said she attempted to apprehend the male and he began to run toward the parking lot. She said a total of eight items were recovered that were valued at $249.92. She said TJ Maxx wished to press charges.

Tavares said Wollard was subsequently released with a District Court summons for one count of shoplifting misdemeanor.

DUI & REFUSAL

On April 3 at 12:55 a.m., while on a radar post on Bald Hill Road, Officer Thomas Duncan observed a vehicle operating at a high rate of speed southbound on Bald Hill Rd. He obtained a reading of 49 mph in a clearly posted 35 mph zone.

Before pulling out after the suspect vehicle, Duncan observed it go through a red light at the intersection of Bald Hill Rd. and Toll Gate Road, still heading southbound on Bald Hill Rd. As he followed the vehicle, Duncan said it left the lane of travel several times, weaving in and out of the low speed lane into the breakdown lane. The vehicle then turned into the Target parking lot, 1245 Bald Hill Rd., without using a turn signal.

Duncan then initiated a traffic stop in the Target parking lot and made contact with the operator, later identified as Matthew Benoit, 27, of 1195 Danielson Pike, Scituate. When asked for his license, registration and proof of insurance, Duncan said it took Benoit some time and required some assistance from Duncan, but he was eventually able to produce all three. Duncan said there were three additional passengers in the vehicle.

When asked where he was heading to, Benoit paused and looked at Duncan with a blank stare before finally saying he was headed to Denny’s. When asked where he was coming from, he said Mardi Gras in Cranston. While speaking with Benoit, Duncan said he immediately detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath. When asked if he had been drinking that evening, he said, “Yes, Officer.” When asked how much, he said, “A lot, I don’t know.” Duncan said Benoit’s speech was extremely slurred, he had severely bloodshot and watery eyes, and he had red, blotchy spots all over his face, especially underneath his eyes.

Benoit was then asked to exit the vehicle to undergo a series of standardized field sobriety tests. While exiting, Benoit was unsteady on his feet and had to grab onto the vehicle for balance. During the tests, Duncan said Benoit was extremely unsteady on his feet and could not keep his balance. He failed all three tests and as a result, Duncan believed Benoit was intoxicated to the point where he could not safely operate a motor vehicle and placed him in handcuffs. Benoit’s vehicle was searched and then towed from the scene. All passengers arranged for rides home from the scene.

Benoit was transported to Warwick Police headquarters, where he refused to submit to a chemical test. He was processed and secured in a cell. Benoit was issued a summons for one count of DUI/Drug/Alcohol/1st Offense – B.A.C. Unknown with a Third District Court date. He was also issued citations for Speeding, Obedience to Traffic Control Devices, and Laned Roadway Violations with a Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal Court date. Benoit was further issued citations for Turn Signal Required and Refusal to Submit to a Chemical Test (1st Offense) with an R.I. Traffic Tribunal Court date.

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