Police Log: Late-Night Basketball, Missing Park Bench

Friday, July 12

11:40 a.m. – A Public Works employee reported a missing park bench from Barbara Tufts Playground overnight. The playground, on Crompton Avenue, is under reconstruction after a sewer line replacement project. According to the report, the bench reportedly weighs nearly 500 pounds and had not yet been reinstalled. Playground gates were locked at the end of the workday Thursday, at 4 p.m. The contractor arrived at 8 a.m. Friday to find the bench missing. The bench, which bore a bronze plaque reading “In Memory of Barbara M. Tufts,” was valued at $1,200.

12:46 p.m. – A King Street resident told police someone tried to break into her apartment. She showed police a screen that had been cut and where an attempt to open the window had been made. She said it may have happened overnight, but she wasn’t sure.

2:17 p.m. – Police were called to Flood Ford to help deal with an employee who had just been fired. He had been told he’d need to return company-owned uniforms in order to get his final paycheck. He returned, allegedly speeding in the car lot, and had some of the clothing, but not all. Flood Ford asked police to issue a no-trespass order against the man. Police told the man he could return another day with a police escort to hand in the rest of the uniforms and pick up his tools.

Saturday, July 13

12:59 a.m. – Police arrested Derek J. Paquin, 37, of Duke Street, on a bench warrant after he was seen removing lawn ornaments from in front of Pal’s Restaurant and walking away with them. Police found Paquin walking on Duke Street at Long Street. He was carrying an armful of flowers he said he’d picked while walking home from Warwick. Underneath a black shirt were the two lawn ornaments. Routine checks turned up the warrant, so Paquin was taken into custody. The manager at Pal’s said she did not want to press charges.

2:24 a.m. – Police came upon a woman sleeping in the driver’s seat of a car parked at Duke and Wine streets. The woman was slouched over the steering wheel and both the car’s headlights and interior lights were on. It took several attempts to wake the woman, who appeared to be very drunk. She at first refused to get out of her car. When she finally did, she stumbled and fell to the ground. The woman was taken by EGFD rescue to Kent Hospital. Police had the car, which was unregistered, towed.

Sunday, July 14

1:04 a.m. – Police arrested Andrea DiGiovanni, 23, of Main Street, on a bench warrant after police found him at Academy Field following a noise complaint. He was playing basketball with two juvenile girls, one of whom was his step-daughter. DiGiovanni was taken into custody; the two girls were brought home.