SUSPECTS CAUGHT STEALING CAR PARTS FROM MARKED POLICE CRUISER

On Jan. 3 at 7 p.m., Detective Sergeant Fred Pierce and Detective Pat McGaffigan returned to Warwick Police headquarters in an unmarked detective car and noticed two suspicious males in and around vehicles parked in the front lot of the station. After watching them, they approached, finding the males in their discretely parked car in the lot. Their investigation, which was very quick, led to arrests of Shawn Bartis, 18, and a 17-year-old juvenile, both from Warwick, for Larceny and Tampering with an Automobile. They allegedly stole the hubcaps and were attempting to steal the siren control box and the spotlight from a marked police car parked in the lot.

FEMALE DRIVER SOUGHT IN HIT & RUN INVOLVING

POLICEMAN

Police are continuing to search for a woman driver who reportedly hit Sgt. Thomas Snow as he was conducting traffic on Airport Road at Hoxsie Four Corners Saturday morning and left the scene.

Police Chief Col. Stephen McCartney said Monday that the vehicle hit Snow’s arm and that he had not been seriously injured. McCartney said Snow attempted to get the female driver to slow down, as she was traveling “too fast” for conditions.

“He attempted to stop her and she took off and struck his arm,” the chief said. He said Snow and the driver “exchanged words.” The chief said the car had temporary plates and detectives are following up on leads.

Snow was performing a traffic detail for Dave’s Marketplace and was not on duty at the time.

POLICE SEEK

SUSPECT IN ARMED ROBBERY

Detective Captain Christopher Stewart said Monday that detectives are seeking to locate a suspect in the armed robbery of Dan’s Convenience Store in the Greenwood section at 2699 Post Rd. Saturday evening about 7.

Stewart said a man described as weighing about 140 pounds and wearing a black hoodie with a bandana across his face entered the store about closing time and pointed a gun at the female clerk. Reportedly he did not say anything, going immediately to the store safe where he removed an undisclosed sum of money and left.

Stewart said the fact the man did not take the cash from the register and his apparent knowledge of a safe has led police to a suspect. He said that immediately following the heist; a frequent customer entered the store to find the clerk calling police. Stewart urged those who have any knowledge of the incident to call him at 468-4231.

STOLEN PAINTINGS

On Dec. 16 at 4:50 a.m., Officer Charles Austin was dispatched to the Courtyard Marriott at 55 Jefferson Park Road for the report of a larceny from a vehicle.

Upon arrival, Austin met with the reporting party, who said when he came into work to drive the shuttle; he saw a car with the back window smashed out. The vehicle registration was a Connecticut registration.

Austin said he checked the vehicle and found a rental agreement made out to one of the hotel occupants. He then went in to the hotel and contacted the occupant. The man told Austin it was a National rental car and that two paintings in the back seat were taken. He said the first painting spelled out the word WOLCZIK and the second painting spelled out SIMARD. He said both paintings were valued at a total of $100.

Austin said Courtyard Marriott had video surveillance of the area, but the night manager was unable to operate the camera system. She told Austin when the manager comes in the morning she would have him burn a disc for the police. The report was forwarded to detectives for further investigation.

DUI & REFUSAL

On Dec. 21 at 11:27 p.m., officers responded to the Fairfax Village Apartments at 900 Post Road for the report of a motor vehicle accident with injuries. Dispatch stated it was a single vehicle accident, possibly into a pole, and that the operator of the vehicle fled on foot, leaving behind an unconscious passenger.

Upon arrival, Officer David Waddington said he observed a tan Lincoln MKS bearing a R.I. veteran plate, which had missed a utility pole but did strike a stonewall. He said Warwick Fire personnel were on scene attempting to extricate the passenger, who appeared to be unconscious with unknown injuries. Waddington obtained a description of the suspect from witnesses who heard the crash and came out of their apartments, at which time he put out a description of a white male approximately 5’10”, wearing a white T-shirt, possibly tan pants, a baseball cap, and tattoos on his forearms.

At that time, additional officers arrived on scene to aid in the search for the suspect, during which Waddington said he heard males yelling and observed Officer Melissa Schlitzer attempting to take a male into custody. Waddington said it appeared two witnesses located the suspect hiding in a bush beside one of the apartment buildings. The suspect then became combative and was taken to the ground, where he struggled with several officers. Waddington said the suspect, who was identified as Matthew S. Kenyon, 25, of 1 Cedar Pond Drive, Warwick, was extremely belligerent and had a strong smell of alcohol coming from his person. As officers attempted to subdue Kenyon, he became belligerent, cursing and swearing at the witnesses, and spitting blood at the officers. Kenyon was arrested and placed in a cruiser, where he continued to spit blood on the windows and the cruiser cage and scream, yell and bang his head against the barred windows. After failing to heed repeated commands to stop, Kenyon was sprayed with pepper spray and finally settled down.

Officer Matthew Smith then transported Kenyon to Kent Hospital, where he was treated for the pepper spray and given a CAT scan and X-rays but refused to submit to a chemical test. Kenyon told Smith he had been drinking with his father at a bar and his father was highly intoxicated, so he drove home. While attempting to turn into Fairfax Village Apartments, he said he was cut off by another vehicle and crashed his car and then ran from the vehicle.

During the investigation, Officer Daniel DiMaio said it was discovered the passenger of the vehicle, who was the registered owner, had an active no-contact order against Matthew Kenyon. Dispatch advised that the passenger was transported to Rhode Island Hospital as a result of injuries from the accident.

Kenyon was ultimately transported to Warwick Police headquarters, where he was fingerprinted, photographed, processed, and charged with one count of duty to stop resulting in personal injury/death and DUI first offense BAC unknown; one count of violating a no contact order; resisting legal arrest; and disorderly conduct. Kenyon was given violations for driving on a suspended license and refusal to submit to a chemical test and was held due to the domestic no contact order and the fact he was currently on probation.