Police Digest

Posted 1/15/20

Pedestrian struck, killed on Dyer Avenue A woman was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Dyer Avenue on Saturday night. Angelina Cruz Hernandez, 76, of 575 Dyer Ave., had succumbed to her injuries by the time emergency personnel responded to the

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Police Digest

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Pedestrian struck, killed on Dyer Avenue

A woman was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Dyer Avenue on Saturday night.

Angelina Cruz Hernandez, 76, of 575 Dyer Ave., had succumbed to her injuries by the time emergency personnel responded to the scene shortly before 5:30 p.m., according to a statement from Cranston Police Maj. Todd Patalano. The accident is said to have occurred in front of the address, which houses the Riverbend Apartments.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Hernandez family during this very difficult time,” the statement reads.

The statement indicates that there were no signs of impairment on the part of the operator involved in the incident. On Tuesday, Patalano said the investigation remains ongoing but that any charges appear unlikely.

“We’re hoping to have that concluded by the end of this week,” he said. “There is the potential that there could be some moving violations, but there is no immediate indication at this time to lead to any criminal charges.”

According to Patalano, a preliminary investigation conducted by the Cranston Police Traffic Unit found that a 2008 Nissan Rogue was traveling southbound on Dyer Avenue. Hernandez was crossing the road at the time. She was struck by the vehicle as it approached the crosswalk.

Patalano said because the scene is well lit and contains a crosswalk, the work of traffic reconstruction personnel is “vitally important” in determining the cause of the accident.

The road was closed for roughly three hours as detectives and other personnel processed the scene. The state Medical Examiner’s Office is also assisting in the investigation.

Anyone with any information regarding the incident is asked to contact Inspector David Boucher at 942-2211.

Armed robbery investigated

A weekend armed robbery at a local gas station remains under investigation.

According to Cranston Police, a suspect armed with a handgun entered the OM gas station and convenience store at 873 Cranston St. shortly before 7 p.m. on Jan. 11.

“The suspect, described as a black male, wearing a black mask, hoodie, red jacket, displaying a black handgun fled in a black pick-up truck,” reads a statement from police. “The vehicle was described as a black Ford pickup with a silver tool box, no plates, and a rusted bumper. An undisclosed amount of money was taken.”

The suspect vehicle was last seen heading north on Cranston Street toward Providence. No one was injured in the incident.

On Tuesday, Maj. Todd Patalano said police have recovered the vehicle used in the incident. No arrests have yet been made, however.

Anyone with information regarding the robbery is asked to contact Cranston Police detectives at 942-2211. Tips may also be submitted anonymously via the department’s website, cranstonpoliceri.com.

BB gun incident leads to assault arrest

A 24-year-old city man is facing charges after allegedly firing a BB gun at a neighbor multiple times over the weekend.

Ismael Rodriguez, 8 Fenner St., Apt. 6, is charged with assault/use of a device similar to a firearm and vandalism. According to court records, he was released on $5,000 personal recognizance with a next court appearance scheduled for April.

According to a press release, police received a call at approximately 2:18 p.m. on Jan. 11 from a woman who said she had been shot at outside her home. The shots were said to be BBs or small-caliber bullets.

“The victim stated that she was cleaning in her back yard when she heard a couple of pops that didn’t sound familiar,” the release reads. “As she continued cleaning she heard another pop which she noticed a projectile come near her face and struck the glass on the screen door and bounced off. When she looked around she observed a muzzle of a rifle coming from a window of an apartment complex located at 8 Fenner Street.”

Police responded to the apartment building and located the alleged shooter, identified as Rodriguez. A search of his apartment uncovered a BB gun and box of ammunition, police said. Police say that Rodriguez claimed he had been target shooting at the time of the incident.

“That certainly was not a plausible explanation,” Patalano said. “You obviously cannot be firing in a compact are such as Fenner Street.”

Ohio man faces weapons charge

An Ohio man was arrested over the weekend after being found in possession of a semi-automatic handgun and a pair of tear gas grenades.

Damion Oneill, 24, of Manchester, Ohio, is charged with carrying a pistol without a permit, according to a statement from police. He has since been released on personal recognizance with a next scheduled court appearance in April.

Police say they received information at approximately 10:15 p.m. on Jan. 11 regarding a person with a firearm heading toward a location within the city. Surveillance based on that information led to the location of a black Cadillac on First Avenue, which was running with a man and woman inside.

Officers then made contact with the operator – identified as Oneill – and conducted a search of the vehicle. The search is said to have uncovered a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and the two grenades, which were recovered through assistance from Rhode Island State Bomb Squad technicians.

The woman who accompanied Oneill in the vehicle was released at the scene and has not been charged.

-- Daniel Kittredge

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