'Messing With Jake' Lands Three Newport Men In Trouble

NEWPORT, RI — Officers were called to Thames Street near the Bank of Newport Automatic Teller Machine on Tuesday night for a report about an assault. They found a man sitting on the wall near the ATM. He was bleeding heavily from a wound on one side of his head. The victim told police two men had jumped him and hit him with a six-shot silver handgun. Christian M. Spina, 25, of Newport, acknowledged he had been "messing with a car" parked behind Seasons Market on Thames Street. He was later charged with vandalism.

Spina told officers he thought the car belonged to his friend Jake. So, he piled mounds of dirt on the car "to mess with Jake." Then, while he was down by the ATM, two men came up, said something about the car and hit him with the pistol.

Police went into the liquor store to see about surveillance video that might have captured the incident. They were told there wasn't any. Then, they went to Seasons Market, which did have video. But before the police had an opportunity to review the footage, a woman approached them. The car that was vandalized belonged to her, she said. It was not registered, and the manager from Seasons allowed her to park in the lot. A colleague saw the car being vandalized, and she took video.

Police charged Spina with vandalism (malicious injury to property). But when they obtained the video from Seasons Market, they also saw the assault.

The woman did not mention to police her son was involved.

In the video, two men are seen looking at the damage to the car and then looking down the street at Spina. They walked down the street to the ATM, and one of them hit Spina with the handgun. Then they fled.

Jake Patrick O'Brien, 18, of Newport, was charged with Felony Assault with a dangerous weapon. He was arrested on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Gianni Vincent Varisco, 18, of Newport, was charged with Felony Assault with a dangerous weapon and with Possession of Schedule I,II,III,IV, and V drugs, which is also a felony. He was arrested on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. Police searched his room at the Motel 6 and allege they found the narcotics and the handgun, which turned out to be a BB gun.