Police Log

Posted 11/27/15

HEROIN

On Nov. 21 at 6:31 p.m., Officer Kevin McGuire and Officer Higgins were dispatched to Wal-Mart, 650 Bald Hill Road, for the report of a shoplifting in progress. Upon arrival, the suspect, …

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Police Log

Posted

HEROIN

On Nov. 21 at 6:31 p.m., Officer Kevin McGuire and Officer Higgins were dispatched to Wal-Mart, 650 Bald Hill Road, for the report of a shoplifting in progress. Upon arrival, the suspect, later identified as Steven Flanagan, 45, of 59 Liberty Church Road, Exeter, was already in custody of a loss prevention associate. The associate said he observed Flanagan select a home theater system, cut off the security wrap and then place the system in a shopping cart, which also contained two pairs of men’s shoes. The total of the items was $371.46. The man then passed all points of sale and exited the store, making no attempt to pay for the merchandise. When he was asked by loss prevention to come back inside, he complied.

McGuire said he told Flanagan to stand up and put his hands behind his back, at which time he informed McGuire that he had a knife in his right front pocket and began to reach for it. After again informing Flanagan to put his hands behind his back and not reach for anything, he was placed into handcuffs and searched for weapons and/or contraband.

McGuire said he found a spring-assisted folding knife with a 3-inch blade in Flanagan’s right front pocket, as well as a clear vial full of a brown powdery substance along with a short straw that had been cut to about 2 inches in length. When asked what was inside the bottle, Flanagan said he found it outside on the ground.

Flanagan was secured in a cruiser and transported to Warwick Police Department headquarters. While en route, he told McGuire the powder in the vial was heroin and he started it several months ago because he could no longer get his medication from the Veterans Administration. At headquarters, Flanagan was printed, processed and held for the Bail Commissioner. He was charged with one count of Possession of Schedule I Heroin-Felony and one count of Shoplifting-Misdemeanor. McGuire said the brown powdery substance field-tested positive for heroin (5 grams), was tagged and logged in the evidence mailbox for toxicology.

WARRANT

On Nov. 22 at 2:37 a.m., Officer Michael Harris was on routine patrol in an unmarked Warwick Police vehicle and observed a vehicle exit the Subway lot, located just south of East Avenue, at a high rate of speed and begin operating southbound on Bald Hill Road. Harris said it should be noted there are no businesses in the lot open at this time.

Due to the suspicious nature of the event, Harris conducted a motor vehicle stop on Bald Hill Road in the area of Hobby Lobby. Harris made contact with the operator, who was identified as Coltin M. Parker, 31, of 164 Delanie Street, Providence, and asked him why he was in the lot. Parker told him he saw a vehicle in front of him traveling southbound on Bald Hill Road that had apparently been in a severe motor vehicle accident pull into the lot and he pulled in behind it to check the safety of the operator. Parker said the male operator and sole occupant told him he was fine and had a ride coming to pick him up, at which time Parker left the scene.

Harris said he obtained a driver’s license from Parker, as well as all other occupants in the vehicle. Checks on Parker revealed an active R.I. driver’s license, but Harris was advised by Dispatch of an active Third District bench warrant for Failure To Appear on an original charge of Driving With Suspended License. Parker was then asked to exit the vehicle, where he was searched, placed into custody and secured in Harris’ patrol vehicle. Due to the fact the occupants of the vehicle had been drinking and Parker was the designated driver, Harris said Officer Timothy Lipka remained on scene while a sober adult was contacted to come pick up the remaining occupants.

Parker was transported to Warwick Police Department headquarters without incident and processed. His bail was set at $450. Parker called his sister, who obtained the funds and delivered it to headquarters, where Parker was held to await a special bail hearing before being released.

Harris said it should be noted that Parker’s account of a motor vehicle accident in the lot of Subway was investigated. A vehicle matching the description was parked unoccupied with heavy front damage. Officer Javier Cabreja investigated the incident and located the operator.

SMASHED WINDOW

On Nov. 14, Officer Russell Brown responded to Puritan Drive for a report of a car window being broken. Upon arrival, Brown spoke with a man, who said the night before at approximately 8:30 his wife parked her vehicle in the driveway of their residence and secured it. Upon waking up and leaving for work at 5 the next morning, his wife found her front passenger’s side window to be smashed. She told her husband it did not appear that anything was taken and she left for work.

Brown said he observed the front passenger window to be smashed, with the glove compartment open and the vehicle owner’s manual on the passenger seat. He said the middle console to the vehicle was closed, with assorted change and a bottle of prescription medication still inside. Brown said there was nothing to be processed on scene. The man said he and his wife would like to pursue a complaint, should a suspect be apprehended for the broken window. No suspects or witnesses.

SHOPLIFTING

On Nov. 24 at 6:30 p.m., Officer Eric Lima was dispatched to the loss prevention office at J. C. Penney, 400 Bald Hill Road, for the report that an adult female was in custody for shoplifting. Upon arrival, Lima met with a loss prevention associate, who said she observed a female, later identified as Elizabeth B. Pray, 64, of 109 Poplar Drive, Cranston, select a Paul Mitchell item and proceed to enter the women’s restroom. When the associate entered the rest room, she said Pray exited the handicapped stall but was unable to recover the item. Pray was then observed entering the men’s department, where she selected several items, removed them from the packaging and concealed them in her handbag. She then proceeded to the fashion jewelry department, where she selected six rings and a watch. She concealed the watch on her left wrist and put a few of the rings in her pocket. She also held several others in her hand.

Pray then exited the store, passing all points of sale while reportedly making no attempt to pay for the concealed merchandise. She was approached by loss prevention and escorted to the loss prevention office, where a total of 11 items were recovered, worth a total value of $370.50. Pray was then taken into custody, although she was not initially placed in handcuffs due to the fact she required the assistance of a cane to walk due to a hip replacement. She was transported to Warwick Police headquarters, where she was processed and given a District Court summons for the charge of misdemeanor shoplifting. She was later released into the lobby at police headquarters.

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  • Justanidiot

    When are people going to learn that it is not safe to go shoplifting when you have heroin in your back pocket?

    I bet he left his cell phone in the car too just begging to be stolen.

    Saturday, November 28, 2015 Report this