CRIME & SAFETY
Man arrested in Richmond for alleged DUI
A man was arrested in Richmond Monday night for allegedly driving under the influence. Officers said they responded at 6:30 p.m. for reports of a motor vehicle crash on I-95 south. Police on scene said a Volkswagen Jetta was traveling south when it drifted off the right shoulder, and down...
Rhode Island State Police arrest six on weapons and drug charges
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A Rhode Island State Police task force and several other law enforcement agencies arrested six people for an alleged high-level narcotics and firearms distribution network operating throughout Rhode Island. The investigation produced search warrants for several addresses in Providence, Johnston, Cranston and North Providence. Recovered...
Rhode Island man pleads guilty to countrywide fentanyl trafficking conspiracy
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The United State’s Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said that a Rhode Island man pled guilty for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy that spanned across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Texas and North and South Carolina. 35-year-old Erik Ventura...
Former RIPTA CEO, Scott Avedisian faces judge. Charge of leaving crash scene is filed.
WARWICK − The former chief of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority pleaded no contest Wednesday in District Court, Warwick, where he was accused of crashing an SUV into another car in a fast food drive-through lane and fleeing the scene. District Court Judge J. Terence Houlihan Jr. accepted...
Coventry police rescue 12 ducklings from storm drain
COVENTRY, R.I. (WLNE) — Coventry police officers acted fast Tuesday morning to save several ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain. All 12 ducklings were recovered from the drain and returned to their mother in a collective effort from police, animal control and the Hopkins Hill Fire Department.
Spate of car thefts leads to warning
Due to an increase of stolen cars across Rhode Island, police are urging residents to thwart “crimes of opportunity” by refraining from leaving their keys in their cars. A man, alleged to have stolen the car from North Providence, was arrested in April in East Providence following a car chase. The pursuit started in Seekonk, Mass. Newport police also arrested two men in February for the same crime and vehicles were reported stolen from Pawtucket and Scituate in March.
North Kingstown police warn residents of phone scam
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) — North Kingstown Police are warning residents of a phone scam where someone calls and claims they are a police officer. The department said a resident recently received a call where from someone claiming they were a police officer. The caller advised the victim that they were wanted on an active arrest warrant. The caller then stated that in order to clear the warrant, the victim needed to pay a certain amount of money utilizing pre-paid gift cards.
West Warwick Fire Department hopes damaged Station 2 can reopen soon
WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) — West Warwick’s fire chief said he doesn’t know when Station 2, damaged by a fire engine on March 10, will reopen. But Chief Jeffrey Varone also said he had hoped it would have returned to service already. Varone said a structural engineer...
Ricci Principal Mellen accused of assault, says he's the victim
NORTH PROVIDENCE – The outgoing principal of Ricci Middle School is facing charges related to a March incident at a Newport bar. Thomas “TJ” Mellen, a 47-year-old Lincoln resident, was booked at the Newport Police Department on April 24, according to a police report obtained through an Access to Public Records Act request, but that same report states that the incident he was involved in initially took place on March 16.
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