Police Log

Posted 9/22/15

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

HEROIN

Officer Scott Chanthaphouvong and members of the Warwick Police Department were dispatched to the area of …

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Police Log

Posted

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

HEROIN

Officer Scott Chanthaphouvong and members of the Warwick Police Department were dispatched to the area of Carmax on Bald Hill Road at 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 6 in reference to a possible DUI in progress. It was reported that a red 2004 Toyota Camry with an R.I. registration was being driven all over the roadway. According to the reporting party, the vehicle struck several vehicles on Bald Hill Road and was last seen heading south on Bald Hill Road before it eventually pulled into a Sunoco Gas Station at 629 Bald Hill Road.

Upon arrival, Chanthaphouvong said he observed the operator, a male, and his girlfriend, the front passenger, identified as Lisa Marie Andreana, 21, of 110 Wilks Pond Road, Berlin, Conn., seated next to a gas pump outside their vehicle, as officers were conducting an investigation. Chanthaphouvong said he was advised by a sergeant that Andreana was observed slumped over and there were needles located inside the vehicle, possibly from heroin use. He said the male also appeared to be on some type of substance. Both then admitted they had shot heroin earlier but did not currently have anything on them.

Chanthaphouvong said a search of their vehicle and property revealed that Andreana had a small purse, which contained a crack pipe and paraphernalia. There was also a small white baggie that had the words “Rock Star” on it, which contained a substance that was believed to be heroin. Andreana admitted it was heroin and said she was holding it for someone. Chanthaphouvong said it was determined Andreana would be charged with Possession of Heroine and transported to Warwick Police Department headquarters to be processed, however prior to transport, she appeared to be going in and out of conciousness and said she was feeling hot. She said she had not used heroin in a while and had relapsed. Chanthaphouvong said Warwick Fire & Rescue then responded and transported Andreana to Kent Hospital for treatment. The sergeant said there were not enough charges for the DUI for the male and he and the vehicle were released to a sober adult.

Chanthaphouvong said the substance tested positive for heroin, which weighed 2.7 grams. Andreana was charged with Possession of Schedule I – V (Heroin).

SHOPLIFTING

Officer Quentin Tavares responded to the Wal-Mart at 650 Bald Hill Road at 5:21 p.m. on Sept. 17 to conduct a follow-up on an earlier offense report. Upon arrival, Tavares responded to the loss prevention office, where he spoke with a loss prevention officer, and advised he was there for a follow-up to a fraud and was in need of information. While speaking with the loss prevention officer, Tavares said he was advised they were currently watching a male, who was possibly going to conduct a fraud or shoplifting.

While he and the loss prevention officer watched on CCTV cameras, Tavares said he observed the male select a package of diapers. He said the man had been looking at a receipt that had possibly picked up and he was looking for the correct UPC on the diapers. The loss prevention officer told Tavares this was a common practice. She said many people pick up receipts that have been discarded by other customers and they attempt to find the correct UPC bar code and return the items as if they had purchased them. Tavares said the male put the diapers in his shopping cart and made his way to the Lawn and Garden section, eventually passing all points of purchase and making no attempt to pay for the merchandise within the shopping cart.

Tavares said he and the loss prevention officer responded outside and confronted the male, who proceeded to pull away from Tavares when informed why he was being detained. Tavares then took the man into custody and escorted him back to the loss prevention office so all necessary information could be gathered and the merchandise could be recovered, which carried a value of $12.97. The loss prevention officer told Tavares the Wal-Mart wished to press charges on the male, who was identified as Michael G. Martinez, 38, of 16 Richland Road, Apt. #FL1, Cranston.

Martinez was then transported back to Warwick Police Department headquarters, where he was fingerprinted, photographed and processed. He was charged with one count of Shoplifting.

DRIVING WITHOUT CONSENT

Officer Matthew Higgins was on a direct patrol in the Comfort Inn parking lot at 7:47 p.m. on Sept. 15, at which time he observed three subjects sitting in a silver Nissan Rogue. He said the vehicle did not have a front license plate and it was backed into a parking spot. Upon pulling up to the vehicle, Higgins said the three occupants observed his cruiser and one of them, described as a white male, began to exit the vehicle from the passenger side. Higgins said he then pulled up closer and illuminated the vehicle, at which time the male subject in the driver seat also exited the vehicle. When the occupants saw that Higgins was stopping his cruiser, he said the passenger began to run toward the front of the hotel. A second or two later, the subject that exited the driver seat of the vehicle also began to flee on foot in the same direction. Higgins then advised Dispatch he was involved in a foot pursuit.

Higgins said he pursued the subjects around to the front of the parking lot and into the front door of the Comfort Inn, where they went through the lobby then down the north hallway. The white male subject that exited the passenger side of the vehicle went up the north stairs of the hotel. The subject that had exited the driver seat of the vehicle went out the exit door back into the parking lot. Higgins said he continued to pursue the male that went back outside. Due to the fact that it was unknown why the subjects had run and that the subject was now out another door, Higgins said he drew his firearm and kept it at a low ready. He exited the back door and observed the subject approximately 30 feet ahead of him. The subject then turned to face Higgins and he ordered him to stop, which he hesitated then complied. Higgins ordered him to put his head on his hands and turn around to face away from him. The subject complied was taken into custody without incident.

Higgins said he then observed the third male that was in the vehicle running around the back of the hotel in his direction. He was also ordered to stop, which he immediately complied. He was told to put his hands in the air, turn around and back up toward Higgins, to which he complied and was also taken into custody. Higgins then escorted the two men back around the front of the hotel to the area of the vehicle they had exited and his cruiser. Two other officers arrived on scene to assist and Higgins gave them a description of the third subject who made it upstairs in the hotel and they began to search for him.

Higgins said the two subjects he was able to detain were identified. The subject who exited the driver seat of the vehicle was identified as Joshua Tangui, 21, of 61 Oak Hill Drive, Johnston. Higgins said he believed the other subject to be rear passenger, however, the subject later said he was in the front passenger seat. Both subjects then identified the white male in the vehicle, which Higgins was able to confirm through a cross agency photo. Both subjects told Higgins they had just met with the third subject to smoke marijuana. Higgins said it should be noted that a sergeant’s search of the vehicle revealed a small plastic container with a green leafy substance, which later tested positive for marijuana and weighed 2 grams.

Once both subjects were in custody and back at the vehicle that they had exited, Higgins said he ran a check of the plate on the vehicle, which was an R.I. registration, but the plate came back to a different vehicle registered to a woman. After running checks on the VIN of the vehicle, Higgins said he was advised the vehicle was actively stolen out of Connecticut and it should have a Florida registration. Higgins said Dispatch spoke with the reporting department in Connecticut and they requested the vehicle be held for them to process. The vehicle was then towed back to the Warwick Police Department headquarters, where it was placed in the evidence bay and given a property tag.

At this time, Higgins said Tangui then began complaining of difficulty breathing and later threw up in the rear of his cruiser. He was then transported to Kent Hospital for evaluation and it was confirmed he would be placed under arrest for Driving Without Consent of Owner. Tangui was also later issued a citation for Possession of Marijuana. Higgins said the vehicle plates were seized pending further investigation, as the sister of the registered owner said the third suspect (white male) had taken possession of the vehicle that the plates should have been on the week prior, after the registered owner was arrested. The sister of the registered owner then advised they have been unable to locate the vehicle and were going to report it stolen through West Warwick P.D.

Higgins said the second subject he was able to detain was transported to Warwick Police Department headquarters for further questioning. Higgins said the man voluntarily filled out a written statement advising that he was called by his cousin to go smoke marijuana, at which time he was dropped off in the Comfort Inn parking lot and got into the vehicle. Then the police arrived, he said, adding that he was unaware that the vehicle was stolen and he was also unaware of anyone else’s involvement with being in the vehicle. The man was then fingerprinted. Higgins said the vehicle was currently being held awaiting the reporting police department to respond for processing.

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