Police Log: Tools Stolen, Store Window Smashed, Numerous Scams

TOOLS STOLEN
Police are investigating the theft of numerous tools from a job site on Brayton Meadow.

Police said they got a report on April 17 that a table saw, two chop and skill saws, two frame and finish guns, two cordless drills and a zip saw were stolen sometime recently.

Police are investigating.

WINDOW SMASHED
Somebody smashed a window at Sprigs Flowers on Main Street sometime overnight on April 16.

Police said the owner told officers that she noticed the window broken when she came to open the business that morning.

Security footage showed what appeared to be a person approach the window and swing an object like a baseball bat to smash the window. The person then kicked the window. The footage was not clear enough to determine if the suspect was a man or a woman, police said.

MAILBOX DAMAGED
On April 15, a Hoyer Court resident told police that his mailbox was knocked over sometime overnight. Police said it appeared someone struck the post with the rear of a vehicle. A small amount of glass was on the ground.

BURN WITHOUT A PERMIT
A brush fire that burned off Shippeetown Road on April 15 was caused by a resident burning a pile of leaves on his side yard, police said.

Though the resident was not cited, he was told to obtain a permit the next time he wished to burn on his property.

Police said Coventry and West Warwick firefighters came to help fight the blaze, which started at 476 Shippeetown Road and expanded to about two acres of land.

No structures were damaged.

FIRE
Firefighters extinguished a fire at L&S Automotive on Post Road on April 15. Nobody was injured in the fire.

According to a police report, police responded along with the fire department at around 4:51 a.m. to check on a box alarm. Upon arrival, crews found smoke inside the building and eventually found a small fire in the office in the front of the building.

Firefighters used a large CO2 tank to break through the door and quickly extinguished the fire.

TAX SCAM
On April 13, a Signal Ridge Way resident told police that someone filed a fraudulent tax return using his family’s information. The resident said he received a tax refund check for $6,668 in the mail even though he knew he owed taxes this year. The check came with a letter from the Internal Revenue Service notifying him that a request for direct deposit was rejected by the bank — an obvious sign of a scam.

On April 14, a Church Street woman told police that she got a letter from the IRS stating that her tax return was under investigation. At first, she thought it was a prank because she had not yet filed her return. Later, she realized her identity had likely been stolen.

On April 15, a Hickory Drive resident reported that they got notice that their recently-filed tax return was rejected because someone had already filed a false return using their identity.

Also on April 15, a Tipping Rock Drive resident reported that their return was rejected for the same reason.

SKATEBOARDER CRASH
A Department of Public Works employee told police on April 15 that he was driving through the parking lot from Spring Street passing Swift Gym when he saw a skateboarder coming down the hill in front of the gym.

The employee then stopped his truck and the skateboarder continued down the hill, eventually striking the left rear wheel of the vehicle and falling to the ground.

The skateboarder, who looked to be about 16-years-old, got up, brushed himself off and sped off on the skateboard before the employee could talk to him.

Police said there was no damage to the truck. The incident was documented in the event the boy or parents came forward to request a report.

For a time afterwards, police kept an eye out for any skateboarders and asked a group of teen boys on skateboards if they knew anything but none did, police said.

DOMESTIC
A fight between a man and woman that boiled over into violence led to the arrest of both on April 14, police said.

William Charles Hopkins, 22, of 572 Main St., East Greenwich; and Sarah Rae Mercier, 23, of 472 Main St., East Greenwich, both were charged with domestic simple assault for the incident.

Police said they were dispatched to the apartment at about 10:20 p.m. after a 911 call reporting a disturbance.

Police said an argument led to Hopkins grabbing Mercier’s phone. She then pushed him, he pushed back, and it got out of control from there.

After an investigation, both were arrested. Hopkins was also charged with domestic vandalism for smashing the phone. Mercier was charged with domestic disorderly conduct.