Police Chief: Thursday Night Shooting First for Barrington in 25 Years

BARRINGTON, RI—Thursday's shooting was the first in 25 years for Barrington, police Chief John M. LaCross said.

Around 5:30 p.m., on Maple Avenue, a 34-year-old Barrington man was shot in the stomach. He underwent surgery and is expected to make a complete recovery. Police said three shots were fired near Maple Avenue and Kirby Street.

Initially, the victim was not cooperating with police, the chief said but officers plan to re-interview him.

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The chief said East Providence and Pawtucket police and the state Attorney General's office helped catch the suspect.

Robert J. Fonseca, of East Providence, was charged with felonies and was arraigned in court today. Bail was set at $50,000 surety, the chief said.

"If it were not for the outstanding police work and joint investigation of our Barrington Police Detectives and patrolmen; RI AG Daniel Guglielmo; Sgt. Diogo Mello and Lt. Ray Blinn of the East Providence PD; and members of the Pawtucket Police Department," he said, "this crime would have gone unsolved and the arrest of the shooter and weapon seized would not have been possible."

It happened like this, the chief said. The car, the black BMW, was connected with a couple of possible suspects, according to information the police developed. The police connected the car to two possible addresses, one in Pawtucket and one in East Providence.

Guglielmo lives in Barrington and came to the police station, the chief said.

Pawtucket officers went to the address in their city and talked to the resident, who identified another person of interest. That person drove a black BMW and allegedly knew both the victim and the person at the Pawtucket address.

"We've got to talk to him," the chief said. The East Providence police went to the address in their city. Fonseca had returned home briefly and then was leaving. Police intercepted him when he left the residence. They questioned him; and when he indicated he had been in Barrington earlier, he was taken to the Barrington police department to be interviewed. He was read his rights; and ultimately, he was charged.

Police also recovered the weapon.

The chief said the motive for the shooting appeared to be an argument. The argument was about drugs, but it was not a drug sale gone wrong or an issue about money for drugs, he said.

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