Man Wanted In Home Invasion Arrested Saturday

A 25-year-old man wanted in a June home invasion was charged with additional crimes on Friday after police found concealed drugs during a search.

John Smith, of 10 Pond Street in Westerly, R.I., was charged with home invasion, first-degree burglary, and second-degree assault in relation to the June incident. He was also charged with two counts of possession of narcotics and one count of possession of narcotics within 1,500 feet of a school after his arrest.

According to a report by Detective Matthew Galante of the , three men broke into a residence at 79 Garfield Ave. on June 16 and assaulted a man named Fred Fortt there. Fortt said he owed $100 to a drug dealer known as “JB,” whom police identified as Smith due to Fortt’s description and prior investigations.

Fortt was taken to , where he required staples to close a cut on his head. He later selected Smith from a photo lineup, as did his girlfriend, who was in the residence at the time of the incident.

On Friday, police officers saw Smith driving on Blinman Street and pulled his vehicle over in the area of Blackhall Street and Garfield Ave. He resisted officers when they started to search near his buttocks, and a strip search at the police station discovered seven bags of substances, which were identified as about three grams of cocaine and heroin. One of the charges says Smith was within 1,500 feet of the when he was arrested.

At his initial appearance in the , Judge Kevin McMahon set Smith’s bond at $250,000 cash or surety on the home invasion charges and $100,000 cash or surety on the drug charges.