SHOPLIFTING

Around 8:31 p.m., June 29, responded to Walmart at 840 Post Road, to investigate a shoplifting.

The suspects, a man and a woman, had fled the scene in a black Acura, traveling north on Post Road.

Police spoke to the store’s asset protection associate, who told them the pair had picked items off the shelf, placed them in a cart and then went to the customer service desk, where they attempted to return the unpaid items.

When store security confronted the suspects, they allegedly ran out of the store. The woman allegedly took a battery power bank valued at $41.68 and the man allegedly took a Monster energy drink valued at $2.28, when they fled, according to the arrest report.

The items in the cart that the pair was attempting to return totaled $372.33, but the store held onto them, according to police.

The woman handed customer service an ID, once it was requested due to store policy. When they fled, they left the identification behind. Police identified the female suspect as Jacqueline Mary Rodriguez, 34, of 37 Lafayette St., Apt. 3, Johnston.

Police looked through records to find “associates” of Rodriguez’s who “could possibly be the male suspect from this incident.” They compared booking photos to store surveillance.

Police identified her alleged accomplice as Thomas William Villella, 40, of 355 George Washington Highway, Smithfield.

Police drew up warrants for both on one count of Shoplifting (a misdemeanor), and granted a pair of No Trespass Orders from the store.

On Aug. 14, around 4:10 a.m., Warwick Police responded to Police Headquarters to meet with Rhode Island State Police who picked up Villella and Rodriguez.

They were held in cells at headquarters pending transport to the ACI.

LARCENY

Around 5:04 p.m., Aug. 19, Warwick Police responded to a Warwick Neck Avenue home for the report of a stolen lawnmower. The victim told police that he had been mowing the front lawn and stopped to change batteries in the mower and go to the store. When he returned, it was gone.

The mower, a cordless RYOBI electric push mower, was green and black/grey, according to police. It was purchased new in July for $319. No further information was available.

NO TRESPASS

Around 8:30 p.m., Aug. 20, Warwick Police responded to Cumberland Farms at 87 West Natick Road, “to make a dispersal.”

An employee called police to report that a man was “laying down on the counter.”

The man had previously been smoking inside the store and refused to leave when he was asked by staff.

Police responded, located the man, who had a Cranston address but told police he was currently homeless. He told police, “I didn’t do none of that.”

He was advised of, and signed the No Trespass Order.

WALKING TRAIL THEFTS

Around noon on Aug. 19, Warwick Police were dispatched to a victim’s address who reported she lost a debit card and $300 in cash. The woman had visited the Rocky Point Walking Trail at 1 Rocky Point Ave., around 10:30 a.m. that day.

Her purse was in the back seat of her locked vehicle.

Around 11:05 a.m. she received a text from her bank stating that fraudulent activity had occurred on her account. The bank advised that a withdrawal was attempted for $1,150.54 out of a possibly Mexican banking institution. The bank identified a possible suspect as the alleged withdrawer.

The transaction failed.

The victim told police that she canceled the cards, but her $300 cash was still missing.

“She was insistent that she had locked the doors to her vehicle and was unsure how anyone could gain access into her vehicle,” Warwick Police Officer Brittany L. Crabtree wrote in the incident report.

The incident was forwarded to Warwick Police Detectives for further review.

Around 12:28 p.m., just a short while later that same day, another victim called police to report a larceny from the Rocky Point Walking Trail.

A woman told police that she was at the trail “and had her wallet rummaged through.” She told police that five credit cards and $50 cash were missing.

She told police that she had parked her vehicle along the fence a couple hours earlier and took a walk on the trail. Just like the other victim, she received a text message from her bank that $529.07 had been charged to her account.

The victim went on to finish three laps at Rocky Point and returned to her vehicle around 11:22 a.m., when she received another text form a credit card company, advising that $1,152.98 had been charged at 10:45 a.m. and that another $4,066.11 was charged at 10:44 a.m.

Both charges included the name of a man from “Marapago.”

She canceled her cards and called police. She told police that she believes that she had locked her car, but there was a small chance she didn’t lock it. The case was forwarded to detectives.

Johnston High SRO assaulted; two students  arrested

By RORY SCHULER

Two Johnston High School students were arrested last week following an assault on the school’s police department-assigned Resource Officer.

Around 10 a.m., Thursday, Johnston Police responded to the school.

According to Johnston Police Chief Mark A. Vieira, “two disorderly students were placed under arrest.”

Johnston Schools Superintendent Dr. Bernard DiLullo Jr. refused to comment on the incident.

“Our policy is not to disclose information regarding students in the district,” DiLullo wrote via email Wednesday morning. “Thank you for reaching out.”

The two students taken into custody are facing different charges, according to police.

“One juvenile was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest,” Vieira wrote via email. “A second juvenile was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct. The victim of the simple assault was a school resource officer (SRO) for the high school. The second juvenile assaulted the SRO.”

No injuries were reported and the Resource Officer was never off the JHS beat.

“The school resource officer and the involved juveniles did not sustain any injuries,” according to Vieira. “The SRO was never out of work due to this incident.”