Grand jury declines to indict man on murder charge

A grand jury has declined to indict a Providence man for murder in connection with a September slaying in Cranston.

Jose Herpin, 24, has been indicted on other charges related to the incident, according to the attorney general’s office, including two counts of carrying a pistol without a license, one count of reckless driving, second offense, and one count of altering identification marks on a firearm.

He is due to appear in Superior Court for arraignment on those charges March 31. But the murder case against Herpin will not proceed based on the grand jury’s findings.

Herpin was arrested by Providence Police on Oct. 1 and charged with the killing of 24-year-old Jamal Vasquez, also of Providence. Vazquez was shot outside a Harris Avenue home during the early morning hours of Sept. 8 in what police described as an altercation stemming from a dispute at a birthday party.

On Monday, Chief of Police Col. Michael Winquist said Cranston Police consider the case closed and are “not looking for any other suspects.”

Because grand jury proceedings are secret, he declined to discuss what led to the decision not to issue an indictment on the murder charge. He did add, however: “We know that both the victim and the suspect were armed with firearms.”

“The grand jury listened to all the facts, and we respect their decision,” he said.

Cranston man pleads guilty in burning of Providence Police cruiser

A Cranston resident has admitted to helping burn a Providence Police cruiser during a June 2020 riot in the capital city, according to prosecutors, and his sentencing is scheduled for June 16.

The officer of Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Myrus had previously announced the plea agreement reached with 31-year-old Nicholas L. Scaglione. He entered a guilty plea to a charge of malicious attempt to damage or destroy a vehicle during a March 25 appearance in U.S. District Court.

According to prosecutors, Scaglione admitted to the court that “he sprayed a flammable liquid into a Providence Police Department cruiser causing a fire to intensify and destroy the vehicle moments after he and others unsuccessfully attempted to flip-over the cruiser” during the riot last year.

Prosecutors say Scaglione was identified through a review of video from the incident, along with witness statements and cell phone records, including text messages.

A conviction for malicious attempt to damage or destroy a vehicle carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a mandatory minimum term of five years.

-- Daniel Kittredge