A 41-year-old Middletown man was charged with vandalism by Newport police on Tuesday night after he allegedly broke a fence and struck a car window several times.
Police said Richard William Welch, 41, of 12 Woolsey Road, was arrested without incident at around 9:04 p.m. after police got a report of a man banging on a car and doing push-ups in the street.
A nearby officer reported that a man on the sidewalk near Warner Street yelled “he’s on Pleasant Street!” and the officer could hear a man’s voice “screaming in the area.”
That voice belong to Welch, police said, who was seen shirtless as he pulled and pushed violently on a section of wooden fence on the sidewalk.
“He pulled several pieces of vines off of this section of fence, and began shadow boxing with the vines wrapped around his fists, while continuing to yell and make random noises,” the police report stated.
The officer reported that he recognized Welch from previous contacts and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was sweating profusely and said “Sorry. I’m a little amped up. I didn’t break it, did I?”
The fence was broken, police said, and Welch had apparently left his wallet, shirt and a baseball hat on the sidewalk as well.
A witness told police that she heard screaming outside of her home and then saw Welch banging on the passenger side of a car. Police said a check of the car showed some smudges but no damage.
While in police custody, Welch told police that he had relapsed on heroin that day and was disappointed with his actions.
Welch was held for arraignment Wednesday on charges of disorderly conduct and vandalism in Newport District Court.
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