Town Adds To Effort For Pershing Road Children

During an interview at this afternoon, Mayor Joseph Polisena said that he's assigned the town's social services director, Lois Marandola, to assist with ongoing efforts to support the two children found at 16 Pershing Road on Jan. 22 following a house fire and discovery of their mother's murder.

"She worked with state for many years for the welfare department, so there are programs that these kids may be eligible for," Polisena explained of Marandola, who he added will work with Deputy Chief David DeCesare. "She'll basically walk them through it and help them. They've got nobody now, and someone's going to have to care for these poor children — they're going to be in for some tough times in the future."

The mayor also announced that proceeds from an upcoming dress down day at Town Hall will be donated to the family.

Members of the International Association of Firefighters Local 1950, the local fire union, announced the formation of The Lily and Jake Fund to handle cash donations, in addition to the being held at .

Send Monetary and Gift Card Donations to:

The Lily and Jake Fund

c/o Johnston Fire Department

1520 Atwood Ave., Johnston RI 02919

The two children, ages 3 and 5, were rescued from the home after police officers and firefighters responded to reports of a house fire on Jan. 22 at about 8 p.m. Their father, Donald Greenslit, 52, remains held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions after he reportedly admitted to . Dorego's 15-year-old daughter was not in the home at the time.

Polisena termed the incident "a truly shocking situation [that] knocked the community on our backs," and credited the police department with a successful investigation that resulted in Greenslit's confession.

"Our detectives did a phenomenal job — they were able to get him to confess, with details," Polisena noted. "We have the best police department in New England. The men and women of the police department are very deliberate in how they do their work, they are vigilant, and they get the job done — they deliver."

Polisena also noted the , after it was reported that to answer for domestic assault and other charges.

"The people from the domestic violence coalition are 1000 percent right — they need to submit legislation and tell the senators and representatives to tighten up the law," Polisena explained. "Maybe this woman would still be alive today if we had stricter laws, [and] you can't blame the judges, because the judges just go by what the laws are. Any judge will tell you 'Go talk to the GA — they're the ones who write the laws.'"

Having grown up in the neighborhood and attending nearby Winsor Hill School, Polisena said "it's a perfectly safe neighborhood," and noted how "a lot of the people living there, their parents lived there, too, so it's an extended family situation."

But even places considered immune from such crimes really are not, Polisena added.

"It could happen in Johnston, Jamestown, Barrington, Providence, Central Falls — it could happen anywhere. Unfortunately, there are people on this earth who do bad things to good people, and [Greenslit] is a bad guy, and he needs to be put away for a long long time," Polisena said. "It's God-awful, there's no describing it; it's just God-awful."