Police Log

Posted 1/11/18

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE CAUSES ACCIDENT On Dec. 29 Richard Gawek, 52, of 880 Division Rd. in East Greenwich was charged with driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a B.A.C. test. At approximately 8:41 p.m. on Dec. 29, Officer Derek

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Police Log

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DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE CAUSES ACCIDENT

On Dec. 29 Richard Gawek, 52, of 880 Division Rd. in East Greenwich was charged with driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a B.A.C. test.

At approximately 8:41 p.m. on Dec. 29, Officer Derek Mourato responded to the report of a two-car accident in the area of Bald Hill Road and Quaker Lane. According to reports from both Gawek and the driver of the other car, Gawek had been driving north on Bald Hill Road and went to take a left turn into House of Liquor. The other car was driving southbound and hit his car as he pulled in. The driver of the other car told Officer Mourato that Gawek had taken a sudden left in front of her car and struck the front.

The two cars were in the parking lot of House of Liquor when the Officer arrived. While speaking with the two drivers, Officer Mourato observed that Gawek’s speech was slurred, his eyes were bloodshot, the odor of alcohol came from his breath when he spoke, and he was unsteady on his feet.

At this time, Officer Mourato decided to conduct sobriety field tests on Gawek, as Officers Holleran and Greene arrived on scene to assist.

During the tests, Officer Mourato observed Gawek to show almost all clues of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

It was then determined that Gawek would be arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence. At that time, Gawek requested a rescue due to possible injuries sustained from the accident and he, along with Officer Mourato, rode in an ambulance to Kent Hospital.

At the hospital, the Officer asked Gawek to submit to a chemical test, to which he verbally refused and also refused to sign any forms.

Gawek was then issued summons for DUI 1st Offense – B.A.C. Unknown with a mandatory Third Division Court date of Feb. 8. He was also issued summons for Refusal to Submit to Chemical Test 1st Offense with a mandatory RI Traffic Tribunal Court date of Jan 12.

He was also issued citations for the motor vehicle accident. After he signed all court forms, he was released to the care and custody of Kent Hospital.

LARCENY

On Dec. 26 at approximately 1:16 p.m. Officer Michael Walker responded to a report of larceny from a vehicle parked at the Apponaug NAPA Auto Parts store on West Shore Road.

The reporting party told Officer Walker that one of the work vehicles at the store had its catalytic converter, valued at $260, stolen sometime between Dec. 3 and that day.

According to the reporting party, a car jack was taken from a vehicle nearby and used to jack up the truck to remove the converter.

There was no video footage of the parking lot where the vehicles are kept and there was no evidence to be processed because snow and rain had contaminated any evidence outside the vehicle in the previous days.

The store told Officer Walker that they wished to press charges if a suspect was found. The case was forwarded to Detectives.

***

On Dec. 29 at approximately 2:25 p.m. Officer Brian Murray responded to a report of larceny from a motor vehicle at a parking lot/garage on College Hill Road.

The reporting party told him that after coming back out to her car she saw that the passenger’s side window had been smashed and her purse was missing from the front seat.

The purse, valued at $50, contained her drivers license, credit cards, check book and three medical cards.

There was no video surveillance available of the garage and no evidence was found. The reporting party cancelled her credit cards, but the credit card company told her that the suspect had attempted to use them at the Macy’s at the Providence Place Mall. She was advised by Officer Murray to call Providence Police.

***

On Dec. 29 at approximately 6:56 p.m. Officer Quentin Tavares responded to the report of larceny from a motor vehicle at the TGI Friday’s on Centerville Road.

The reporting party told him that he and his girlfriend had parked in the lot and went into the restaurant to eat. While at their table, a waiter brought his girlfriend her handbag and told them that it had been recovered by another person in the parking lot after his vehicle had been broken into. He then checked his vehicle and found that the passenger’s side window had been smashed and the purse was removed, but nothing was found to be missing from the purse.

There was no video surveillance available and there was no suspect information at the time.

***

On Dec. 29 at approximately 8:35 p.m. Officer Quentin Tavares responded to a report of larceny from a motor vehicle at the Smokey Bones restaurant on Universal Boulevard.

The reporting party told him that her wallet, valued at $200 and containing $175 in cash as well as her debit card, was missing from her car. She said that the rear passenger’s window of her car was smashed and the wallet had been taken.

20 minutes before Officer Tavares arrived, however, the victim received a text from her sister saying that a male, whose identity was not known, had returned the wallet to their residence.

There was no video surveillance of the incident available and no witnesses or suspect information was available either at the time.

***

On Dec. 30 at approximately 10:12 a.m. Officer Rose Michel responded to a report of larceny from a motor vehicle in the parking lot of the UPS store on Plan Way.

The reporting party told her that he had parked his van in the lot around 4 a.m. that day and was told by a coworker around 10 a.m. that the passenger’s rear door window had been smashed.

When he went out to look at the vehicle, he found that a variety of items were missing from the inside of his van, including two tires, valued at $330, two wheels and wheel spacers, valued at $320 and lug nuts and eight hubcaps valued at $150.

There were video surveillance cameras on the building, but at that time security was not on-duty and the footage couldn’t be accessed. The victim left a note with security informing them of the incident and provided a written statement for police. Photographs were taken of the scene and the report was forwarded to Detectives.

VANDALISM

On Dec. 29 at approximately 11:14 p.m. Officer Jeffrey Taranto responded to a report of malicious damage to a car parked at Arooga’s restaurant on Greenwich Avenue.

The victim told Officer Taranto that she had parked outside the restaurant around 10:00 p.m. and when she came back out around 11:00 p.m. the rear passenger’s side window had been smashed out, but nothing appeared to be taken from the car.

The victim said the window was valued at $300 and she wished to press charges if a suspect was found.

The Officer checked surveillance footage, but the victim’s car was not in the frame of the one camera in the lot.

There were no suspects at the time and the report was forwarded to Detectives.

SHOPLIFTING AND WARRANT

On Dec. 30 at approximately 1:04 p.m. Officer Nicholas DiNardo, Officer Brian Murray and Sergeant Charles Boisseau responded to a shoplifting at the Walmart on Bald Hill Road.

The Loss Prevention employee told the Officers that a male, later identified at John Dowding, 35, of 331 Main Avenue in Warwick, had been taken into custody without incident.

The Loss Prevention employee provided a written statement that said that Dowding had placed a vacuum cleaner, valued at $269, into his shopping cart and exited the garden section of the store without paying for it. Dowding was also found to have a knife on him that measured at 3¾ inches.

He was then transported to police headquarters. Dowding was charged with shoplifting and weapons other than firearms prohibited. He also had a bench warrant issued from Family Court and for that reason was then transported to the ACI.

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