Police Beat: Nov. 25 to 29

RECKLESS DRIVING
A 24-year-old man was charged with reckless driving and driving without a license Nov. 29 after he drove a 1995 Toyota Celica a little too fast and furious in front of police officers around 1 a.m.

Two officers sitting car-to-car in the Benny’s parking lot on Park Avenue were surprised to see the small 2-door Toyota drive by going about 50 mph before it made an abrupt turn and fish tail onto Spurwink Place into the Benny’s/Capital Liquors parking lot.

Police heard the engine rev and it “suddenly came around the corner of Capital liquors and continued to where [we] were parked between the two buildings,” police said. “The operator. . .saw our cruisers and quickly applied the brakes, causing his car to skid towards my cruiser.”

The driver, identified as Christopher McCarthy, of 188 Clarence St., Cranston, was able to negotiate the turn and just missed the cruisers “by a matter of only a few feet,” police said. “There is no doubt in my mind that if McCarthy had in fact struck my cruiser with me in it, it would certainly have caused serious bodily harm to myself as well as to McCarthy and his front seat passenger.”

Along with the reckless driving, McCarthy was driving without a license and records showed he has an expired learner’s permit in the state Department of Motor Vehicles database.

He was also summonsed for speeding, failing to maintain control of a vehicle and illegal window tint.

Police said McCarthy is serving a 78-month suspended sentence for a 2006 first-degree robbery charge that was amended to larceny from a person.

RAGE
A 19-year-old woman faces charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and simple assault after she allegedly attacked police officers trying to calm her down after they responded to a report of a disturbance between two females at the intersection of Brandon and Monument Streets Nov. 27.

According to police, Paris Sanchez, of 3 Bowdoin St., Providence, was observed pulling the hair of another female surrounded by a group of about 12 to 15 people who refused to disperse.

Officer Ryan M. Shore forced his way into the middle of the fight and tried to grab hold of Sanchez, at which point she screamed, yelled, swore and swung at Shore, striking him in the face with an open hand.

As Shore led her to his cruiser, she violently kicked his shins, police said, and was able to slip out of his grasp, allowing her to punch Shore several times in the face and chest with a closed fist “while screaming for her ‘mommy’” police said.

Police said Sanchez was finally restrained and taken to police headquarters.

In the midst of the struggle with Sanchez, other officers had to deal with a second fight that broke out between two groups of people. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd and charged Jasmine Gomez, 19, of 164 Dover St., Providence, with disorderly conduct.

FELONY LARCENY
Police charged Jayson Anthony Riddle, 36, of 5 Covington Drive, Warwick, with felony larceny after he allegedly took keys, a phone, and a radon tester from the car of a Pontiac Ave. resident Nov. 27.

Police said Riddle broke into the victim’s car overnight.

DUI
Police charged James B. Gannon, 67, of 300 Greenwich Ave., Warwick, with driving under the influence and refusing a chemical test Nov. 26 after he illegally passed five cars on Budlong Road by crossing over the double yellow lines in view of a police officer parked in the parking lot.

Police said several vehicles in the oncoming lane had to swerve to get out of the way.

Gannon reportedly told police that he was coming from Vic’s Tavern on Union Avenue in Providence and had three seven-ounce bottles of Bud Light.

After failing a field sobriety test, Gannon was arrested, police said.

LARCENY FROM CARS
Two young Providence men were caught in the act of stealing money and electronics from cars Nov. 26 around 2 a.m., police said.

According to police reports, while on routine patrol, officer Jon Quaranto saw two males wearing dark hooded sweatshirts emerge from a dark area near New Hampshire Street and run across to Cranston street.

“Due to the high number of larceny from motor vehicles in the area and the late hour I approached in order to identify them,” Quaranto reported.

The two men, identified as James Mendez, 18, of 14 Hawthorne St., Providence and Alfonzo Lawrence Ramos, 23, of 35 Autumn St., Providence, acted nervously after being stopped and avoided eye contact. A search revealed Ramos was carrying a “large amount of change” in his left jean pocket and in his sweatshirt pocket. He was also carrying a GPS system attached to a car charger.

Officers used the GPS unit’s home button to locate its owner, who turned out to live on Vigilant St. — a short distance from where the two men were stopped.

Police said the loose change totaled $29.73.

Both men were charged with larceny.

SHOPLIFTING
Jason Michael Merritt-Rave, 26, 720 Warwick Ave., Warwick, charged with shoplifting Nov. 26 at 11:45 a.m. Police said Merritt-Rave attempted to steal six articles of clothing from the Garfield Avenue K-Mart by taking them into a fitting room, removing the tags and putting the clothes on.

Nicole Kathleen Hurst, 32, 44 Fletcher Ave., Cranston, charged with shoplifting Nov. 26 at 2:06 p.m. Police said Hurst attempted to steal a coat, pants and three bottles of spray tan at the Plainfield Pike Walmart by placing the items in her purse before walking out without paying.

Lauren Mancini, 19, 55 Normandy Drive, Warwick, charged with shoplifting and conspiracy Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. Police said Mancini attempted to steal socks and T-shirts from the Bob’s Store on Oaklawn Avenue by putting the items in a handbag in the changing room and leaving the store without paying.

These reports are provided by Cranston Police and do not reflect every incident they respond to.