Hotel Housekeeper Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Electronics and Alcohol from Tourists

Hotel Housekeeper Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Electronics and Alcohol from Tourists

Stephanie D. Peno, 20, of 90 Girard Avenue Apt. 110 in Newport, was arrested around 8 p.m. Monday on a felony charge of larceny over $500.

Police were dispatched to the Wyndham Resort on Washington Street around 5 p.m. to speak with a couple from Maryland, who reported that their Dell Computer, computer power cord, 32GB iPod, 4GB iPod, and liter of Wild Turkey American Honey liquor were all missing from their hotel room.

The husband told police that he'd called the front desk around 10:30 a.m. requesting that his TV remote control and hair dryer be fixed, and that they'd left the room shortly thereafter.

Police spoke to the guest services manager, who said that a maintenance man had entered the room around 10:45 a.m. to fix the remote and hair dryer, and that housekeeping hadn't cleaned the room that day, but Peno and another housekeeper did clean the room next door.

Police went to Portsmouth to search the vehicle of the maintenance man, but didn't find the missing items. Other officers were sent to the Festival Field Apartment complex, where Peno resides. According to the report, she allowed police to search her apartment, where they found the liquor in her bedroom, the bottle three-fourths full.

When officers went to the kitchen and advised that they'd found the liquor, they say Peno put her head down and admitted to stealing the items.

Disturbing the Peace Charge

Paul David Napolitano, 58, of 15 Meeting Street in Newport, was arrested around 12:39 p.m. Monday on a disturbing the peace charge.

Police say they were dispatched to La Chapina Market at 312 Broadway for a report that Napolitano was yelling and swearing at the clerk. Upon arrival, an officer found him standing on the sidewalk yelling into the market. Police instructed him to leave the area, but he refused, then began swaying back and forth on the sidewalk. About the same time, a woman was reportedly walking down the street and had to step out into the road to avoid him. The officer got out of his cruiser to get Napolitano to leave, but he still refused, prompting the officer to handcuff him and arrest him on the disturbing the peace charge. He was brought to the station for booking.

Drinking in Public Citation

Steven Bruce Cox, 51, of 15 Meeting Street in Newport, was cited around 5:05 p.m. Monday for drinking in public.

Cox was allegedly standing in the middle of Eisenhower Park with a pint size bottle of Caldwells Vodka. The officer reports that as he drove by, Cox pointed at him and proceeded to chug the vodka. He was issued a summons for the incident.

The above reports detail arrests made by the Newport Police Department from Monday, Sept. 13, through the early morning hours of Tuesday, Sept. 14. Descriptions of all events are based solely on police officer reports provided to Patch.