Smartphone Stolen from Governor’s State Car on East Side UPDATED

Friday, November 06, 2015

GoLocalProv News Team and Kate Nagle

If you think the Providence crime issue discriminates - it does not. Governor Gina Raimondo’s car was broken into an a phone was stolen from the vehicle while under control of the State Police detail.

According to law enforcement sources the car was broken into while parked on Williams Street on the East Side.

"It happened two days ago, the Trooper on her detail -- he came out when he heard the glass break. He put a bulletin out, the Providence Police stopped [a vehicle] and the person had no license. We got the phone back yesterday -- three people were charged," Colonel Steve O'Donnell confirmed to GoLocalProv Thursday night.

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O'Donnell said the phone was stolen outside the Trooper's house -- not the Governor's -- and that the phone was state issued.

"It wasn't a sensitive phone, and it was locked down. It wasn't stolen for that purposed, they didn't know it was targeted."

Three individuals have been charged with larceny.

In an additional statement, Colonel O’Donnell told GoLocal:

On November 3, 2015 at approximately 3:15 AM, a member of the State Police while off duty heard a window breaking outside of his house in Providence. He then saw a vehicle leaving the scene and contacted Providence Police and the State Police Night Executive Officer. This is his assigned State Police vehicle which is used to transport the Governor as a part of her protection detail. Upon inspecting the vehicle, he observed the driver door open and the driver window shattered with a rock or knife that was left at the vehicle. He also discovered that his State Police issued cell phone was missing from the center console. A broadcast of the vandalism, larceny and description of the vehicle and suspects was disseminated to Troopers and Providence Police Officers.

The following day, November 4, 2015 at 12 PM, an alert Providence Police Officer observed a vehicle fitting the description provided operating in this neighborhood and stopped the vehicle. Providence Police contacted the State Police and one suspect was identified as the same person who fled the above incident.

The operator did not have a license. All five individuals that were inside this vehicle were transported to the State Police Lincoln Woods Barracks and given their constitutional rights. As a result of this investigation, they admitted their involvement in this event and other similar crimes in this neighborhood. We charged three suspects with various crimes. More details can come tomorrow. The Troopers stolen State Police cell phone was recovered on one of the suspects.

Smartphone Stolen from Governor’s State Car on East Side UPDATED

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