DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

On July 21 at approximately 2:29 a.m. Officers Alfred Silveira and Jeffrey Taranto were called to the intersection of Greenwich and Vancouver Avenues due to reports of an erratic driver who had struck a car on the highway and gotten off at a nearby exit. Both the suspect vehicle and the car it hit were parked when the officers arrived.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the other car was identified as Jeremy Law, 24, of 1 Michigan Ave. in Providence. Law, who didn’t have a license or ID on him and was identified through the RILETS system, said he was in the high speed lane on I-95 when a car went in front of him, causing him to swerve all the way over to the low speed lane, bumping another car on its rear bumper in the process. He said he then fled the scene because it was a rental vehicle.

While talking to Law, the officer detected a strong alcoholic odor from his breath and Law told him that he had taken four to five shots of liquor that night. He said he took the last shot two hours prior and then fell asleep. The Officer also saw that Law’s face was flushed and his eyes were bloodshot and watery, so he asked him to do field sobriety tests, which he agreed to.

During the tests, the officer observed more than half the clues indicating impairment and took Law to police headquarters. While there, Law refused to submit to a chemical test.

Law was then charged with DUI (1st Offense) – B.A.C. Unknown as well as failure to stop following an accident causing damage with a mandatory court summons. He was also charged with Refusal to Submit to Chemical Test (1st Offense) and Refusal to Submit to Preliminary Breach Test. He was also issued Law Violation charging him with Interval Between Vehicles. He was later released from custody, while his car was towed from the scene.

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On July 27 at approximately 1:32 a.m. Officer Jonathan Byrne was driving on Post Road when he saw a blue Corolla turning its headlights on and off four times in a row. He stopped the vehicle on Post Road at the corner of Aborn St.

The driver was identified as Christopher Godin, 29, of 284 Walnut Hill Rd. in Woonsocket. He told the officer he was trying to figure out his headlights. While talking, Officer Byrne detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath and his speech was slurred.

Godin said he was coming from a bar in Cranston and was en route to his home in Cranston. He said he had two or three drinks at the bar.

Godin consented to a series of field sobriety tests. During those, Godin indicated impairment during all three tests. Godin was then arrested on suspicion of DUI and brought to police headquarters for processing. At the time, Godin thought he was somewhere in the area of Cranston/Smithfield rather than Warwick. At the police station, Godin refused to take a chemical breathalyzer test.

He was charged with DUI (1st Offense) B.A.C. Unknown and for Refusal to Submit to Chemical Test (1st Offense). He was then released to a sober adult with a court summons.

LARCENY

On July 26 a larceny victim came into police headquarters to report to Officer Brian Holleran about a stolen vehicle license plate.

The victim said he had parked at the Warwick Library that day and came back out to find his front license plate and plate holder missing from the car. The license plate was entered into the system by dispatch.

PROPERTY DAMAGE

On July 26 at approximately 8:50 p.m. Officer William Holz responded to the report of a tire being slashed at a residence on Commodore Avenue.

The victim said she had come out to her vehicle on the morning of July 23 to find her passenger side front tire had a hole in it. She said her vehicle was parked in the driveway overnight and did not have any reason to believe that anyone would have targeted her specifically.

There were no cameras in the area. The incident could have been related to several incidents in the north end of the city that occurred earlier in the week, and the report was forwarded to detectives.

SHOPLIFTING

On July 23 at approximately 6:02 p.m. Officer Michael Bailey responded to the Macy’s at the Warwick Mall for the report of a shoplifter that had fled the scene heading northbound on Route 5 toward Cranston in a 2002 Nissan Maxima. He heard over the radio that the car had been stopped by another officer near Mulligan’s Island.

The driver was identified as Phillip Appiah, 32, of 825 Plainfield St. Apt. #B205 in Providence. Appiah told the Officers he had made a mistake and stolen three pairs of sunglasses from the Macy’s. He said he took the sunglasses out of the store in his pockets.

Appiah was identified by the loss prevention associate from Macy’s after he was brought to the scene. That employee said that Appiah had taken three pairs of sunglasses, valued at a total of $989.98, without paying for them.

Appiah was taken to police headquarters where he was charged with Shoplifting-Misdemeanor and released with a court summons.

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On July 25 at approximately 6:00 p.m. Officer Ryan Shibley responded to the H&M store at the Warwick Mall for the report of a shoplifting.

The store manager said she saw a man fill up his shopping bag with various assorted H&M merchandise, which she valued at approximately $600, and left the store without paying. She then chased him out of the store and he ran to the parking lot where he got into a white car with a driver waiting in it. She said she couldn’t get a great look at the vehicle, but thought it could have been a Toyota Avalon. She took a photo, but it did not show the license plate of the car.

The manager said all the merchandise was men’s clothing and she would like to press charges if the man was found. She said there was video surveillance, but she would have to talk to a supervisor to attain it.

Warwick mall security was also unable to get the car’s plates from their video surveillance footage. The report was forwarded to detectives for follow-up.