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

STOLEN PURSE 

On Oct. 20 at 10:22 p.m., Officer Christian Vargas was dispatched to the parking lot of Planet Fitness for a report of a larceny from a motor vehicle.

Upon arrival, Vargas met with the reporting party, who said her vehicle, which had been secured and parked on the east side of the Planet Fitness parking lot at 7:45 p.m., had been broken into. Vargas said he observed a smashed driver’s side window. The woman said her purse containing an iPad mini, which was left partially concealed under the front passenger seat, was the only item of value removed from the vehicle.

Vargas said there were no external cameras in the Planet Fitness parking lot. Vargas made a check of the John Brown school area for any leads, but none were found. He told the woman to provide the serial number for the iPad. There were no suspects.

MARIJUANA POSSESSION

On Oct. 19 at 9 p.m., Officer Daniel Maggiacomo was making a directed patrol at the location of Salter’s Grove Memorial Park, 450 Narragansett Parkway. Working in the Community Division, Maggiacomo has noticed there have been several vehicles broken into and drug activity in the area. As he approached, Maggiacomo noticed one of the vehicles in the parking lot was not facing the water (it should be noted there are often spectators who watch the water at night) and immediately saw there were three juveniles inside the vehicle that appeared to be “extremely nervous, practically jumping out of their seats” when they saw the officer’s spotlight illuminate the vehicle.

Maggiacomo said he activated his overhead lights and approached the vehicle. As he exited his patrol vehicle, he detected an overwhelming smell of marijuana emanating from the suspect vehicle. As he neared the vehicle, he said none of the subjects in the vehicle would roll down their windows, at which time he knocked on the window and spoke to the driver.

When asked what they were doing, the subjects said, “We’re leaving.” Maggiacomo told them they weren’t leaving at this point and asked how much marijuana they were smoking or was located in the vehicle. He repeated the question, as the subjects just stared at him. Upon asking a second time, one of the subjects said there was marijuana in the vehicle, then reached into the center console and removed a small cellophane baggie containing a green leafy substance, which was seized by Maggiacomo. He believed the subjects were still being deceitful and that it was possible they were in possession of more narcotics, so they were escorted from the vehicle. With the assistance of Officer Lima, Maggiacomo completed a search of the vehicle and located at least three smoking pipes that contained marijuana residue, which were also seized.

Maggiacomo then contacted the mother of one of the subjects, who responded to their location to take custody of her son, as well as the other two juveniles. One of the subjects (son of the mother who was present) was issued a violation for one count of possession of one ounce or less of marijuana (under 18 years old).

After returning to Warwick Police Department headquarters, Maggiacomo said he tested the green leafy substance, which yielded a positive agitation test for marijuana. The substance and smoking pipes were tagged and placed in the BCI mailbox.

SHOPLIFTING & OBSTRUCTION

On Oct. 21 at 7:45 p.m., Officer Mitchell Voyer was at Warwick Mall, 400 Bald Hill Road, on a separate case when he was advised there was a shoplifting that had occurred at the mall and the subject was outside of Nordstrom Rack with mall security.

Upon arrival, Voyer met with the assistant manager of American Eagle at Warwick Mall, who said she observed a male who was on scene, later identified as Jose Morel, 22, of 36 Adelaide Avenue, Providence, walking around inside American Eagle, acting suspiciously in the cologne area. She said she was watching him and observed him take a large box of 1977 cologne and put it into the front left pocket of his windbreaker. In an attempt to get him to put it back, she said she went up to him and asked him if he liked any of the cologne. She said the suspect ignored her and left the store, passing all points of purchase but failing to pay for the concealed merchandise, exiting out into the mall. 

She followed him, at which point he began to run away. She and mall security eventually caught up to him outside of Nordstrom Rack. The manager told Voyer the stolen item, which she described as a bottle of 1977 men’s cologne valued at $39.95, had not been recovered.

Voyer said he spoke with the subject and asked for his name and date of birth. The man told Voyer he did not need to tell him any of the information. Voyer then advised him he was under arrest for shoplifting and that he did need to tell him the information. At this time, the man was acting extremely nervous, pacing back and forth, and Voyer placed him in handcuffs. While attempting to apply the handcuffs, Voyer said the man tried to pull away, at which point Voyer and mall security officers were able to further detain him without incident. After being placed in Voyer’s cruiser, the man was again asked for his information, at which point he said his name was Jose Morel and his date of birth was June 28, 1996. He said he lived in Providence but couldn’t remember the address. When asked if he had a driver’s license in the state of Rhode Island, he said he did not have one on him. Voyer advised him he was not asking if he had a license on him, but whether he had one issued to him so Voyer could look it up in the system. The man said he did not have a Rhode Island driver’s license.

Upon entering Jose Morel with a June 28, 1996 date of birth, Voyer said it did not generate any cross-agency results. Finding this unusual, Voyer ran just the name came up with a similar date of birth, Feb. 26, 1993. Voyer said he then ran an OLN check, which provided a DMV photo that matched the subject. Checks for warrants and BCI were both negative.

Morel was then transported to Warwick Police Department headquarters, where he was charged with one count of misdemeanor shoplifting and one count of obstructing an officer in execution of duty. Morel was summonsed and released.