Police Log

The Police Log is a digest of reports filed by the Johnston Police. Chief Richard S. Tamburini or Deputy Chief Daniel Parrillo has reviewed all reports.

UNWARRANTED

Patrolman David Loffler reports a call about a suspicious car parked on Birchtree Drive around 9:45 p.m. on Oct. 30. He said he was on his way there when he saw the suspect car turning right onto Cherry Hill Road. He said he went after the car with his lights and siren on, but the car didn’t stop until it made several turns without signals and came to rest in front of 25 Delmont St.

Loffler said he spoke with the driver and asked why he did not stop, and the man reportedly said he was under the impression that here was a warrant out for him and he didn’t want to have the car towed. Loffler said he checked and found no warrant but did learn that Howard A. Smith, of 25 was driving on a suspended license.

Smith was charged with eluding police and driving on a suspended license, not using a turn signal and having no rear plate light. He was later released from headquarters with a summons. Court records indicate this is the third time this year Smith has been charged with driving on a suspended license.

CONSPIRACY

Patrolman Andrew Broccoli reports he was on patrol near Hartford Avenue and South William Street around 1 a.m. on Nov. 3 when he saw two people walking down the road from opposite ends of the street. He said the area had seen several thefts from vehicles in the recent past and he decided to go around the block and circle back to South William. This time there was only a woman on the street, and he stopped to ask her why she was there. He said she gave him “Melanie Lastarza” for a name and the last four digits of her Social Security number.

Broccoli said he told her he saw a man on the street earlier and asked if she was with him, and she reportedly said that was her boyfriend and he just went inside a house on South William to get some money from his mother. Broccoli said he looked at the house and it was in total darkness. He said he had her try to contact him but she was unsuccessful.

Broccoli said be was suspicious of the story and ran a check on “Lastarza,” and learned the number and name didn’t match. He said he went to the house and got no response when he knocked, but he saw a man lying on the ground in a driveway. He advised the man to stand up and he handcuffed him and put him in his cruiser. He said the car the man was lying beside had a door ajar. He said the man admitted they had been going through cars looking for stuff to steal.

“Lastarza” turned out to be Jennifer Grenier, a.k.a. Jessica Grenier, 32, of 85 Sherman St. in Pawtucket. The man turned out to be Carl Dye, 46, of 20 Thomas Olney Com. in Providence.

Both parties have extensive court records, and Grenier had three active warrants from District Courts for failure to appear. She was also charged with attempted larceny, conspiracy to commit larceny and obstruction. Dye was charged with attempted larceny and conspiracy.

WANTED IN MICHIGAN

Patrolman Joseph McGinn reports being on patrol near Hartford and Hopkins avenues around 5:55 p.m. on Nov. 1 when he saw a man on the street dressed in black, with a black hoodie concealing his face. He said he remembered that there was a recent break-in nearby and he thought the man was suspicious. He said he asked the man what he was doing, and the man reportedly said he was new in the area and that he was looking for somebody from whom to purchase a cigarette for $1. The man reportedly said he was from Michigan and worked for Rockwell Amusements, the moveable carnival company on Red Oak Drive.

McGinn ran a check on the man and found a full extradition warrant out of Kalamazoo for a sex offense and obstruction.

Cory Alan Campbell, 31, of 10 Red Oak Drive, was arrested and held for arraignment before being transported to the ACI to await extradition.

LEAVING THE SCENE

A man was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident on Plainfield Street on Oct. 31. Patrolman Michael Andreozzi said he learned the man was also a probation violator for offenses in Providence, Lincoln and Woonsocket. Matthew Chandler, 42, of no fixed address, was arraigned and assessed $2,000 surety bail, but he was held at the ACI as a probation violator.

WOULDN’T MOVE

Lt. Matthew Benson reports he was doing traffic control for the presidential visit on Oct. 31 when a woman drove up to his post at 23 Greenville Ave. and asked if she could be allowed to enter the parking lot at 20 Greenville to pick up her boyfriend. Benson said she could do that, but then would have to stay in the parking lot for 30 to 45 minutes until the president’s motorcade passed. He said she was frustrated but agreed to park and wait.

Benson said a man in a hood came out of the house at 20 Greenville, moved a traffic cone and got into the same car. Benson said he walked up to the car and blocked it from leaving. He said the driver told him, “You need to move. I need to go to work.” He said he explained that they could not leave until the motorcade passed and the driver reportedly said, “I don’t give a [expletive]. I need to go to work! I’m a responsible working man and need to go!” Benson said he explained to the man that he had to move the car back inside the driveway or he would be arrested and he reportedly said, “I ain’t movin’ [expletive].”

Benson said he called for another officer, and they pulled the man out of the vehciel when he refused to put the transmission in “park.” He said the car rolled into the middle of the street.

Billy R. Collazo, 26, was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer. He was later released with a summons.