RI Woman Sues Police Alleging Unlawful Arrest Following "Inadequate" Facebook Investigation

RI Woman Sues Police Alleging Unlawful Arrest Following "Inadequate" Facebook Investigation

A Rhode Island woman has sued the Town of Cumberland and the Cumberland Police, alleging she was subject to unlawful arrest and prosecution after police sought a suspect in a high-speed chase.

In an 11-page complaint filed in United States District Court, Eva Pizzarelli - who is being represented by attorney Jose Batista - said on April 8, 2025, that she was stopped by East Providence Police for an “alleged traffic violation.”

That was just the beginning.

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According to the lawsuit, Pizzarelli was then hauled into the Cumberland Police Department on an outstanding warrant for an incident she said she had no knowledge of.

What transpired next, according to Pizarelli, resulted in “emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, financial hardship, and loss of liberty and reputation” caused by the defendants’ actions.

She is suing the Town of Cumberland, Mayor Jeffrey Mutter, Cumberland Police Chief Matthew Benson, Sergeant Brandon Correia, and Patrolman Jack Halloran.

According to the lawsuit, all charges against her were ultimately dropped.

High-Speed Police Chase Prompts Investigation - Using Facebook

The warrant for Pizzarelli’s arrest stemmed from a police investigation into a prior incident involving a high-speed chase, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit asserts that on March 26, 2025, “Defendant Halloran was on duty and patrolling Broad Street in the town of Cumberland, Rhode Island. At about 10:05 AM, Defendant Halloran witnessed a gray Volkswagen bearing Rhode Island plate #4J570 traveling north on Broad Street fail to signal a turn.”

According to the lawsuit, after Halloran “attempted to initiate a traffic stop...the vehicle did not stop and instead accelerated, crossing the state line into Attleboro, Massachusetts at a high rate of speed while allegedly failing to obey multiple traffic signals and traffic control devices.”

Halloran then “terminated his pursuit” consistent with instructions from dispatch, per the lawsuit.

The lawsuit continues, “Defendant Halloran later reported he had a ‘clear view’’ of the driver; however, his description of the driver was limited to a general category: “white, middle-aged woman, with red hair’ and contained no specific identifying features or any additional detail about the driver.”

 

Police “Identify” Driver

The lawsuit maintains that “during the course of the investigation, Defendant Correia became aware that the vehicle and license plate in question were registered to a 73-year-old disabled veteran residing in South Kingstown, Rhode Island named Gerald Minasian...Ms. Pizzarelli has no association to Mr. Minasian nor has she ever met him.”

“Defendant Correia reviewed individuals associated with the vehicle, including persons with connections to the vehicle via prior traffic stops, ownership records and other databases. That review identified an individual named 'Kevin Colon' as someone associated with the vehicle in question in the past," the lawsuit claims.

"Defendant Correia next searched Facebook for ‘Kevin Colon’ and selected one of the profiles returned by his search results. Defendant Correia then reviewed that individual’s friends list,” the lawsuit continues. “During the review of that 'friends list,' Defendant Correia identified a Facebook profile containing a photograph of a white woman with red hair," the suit continues.

 

No Red Hair

“At that time, Defendant Correia had not personally observed the driver of the vehicle yet, based on the limited descriptive information available from his investigation, believed this photo to be of the driver of the vehicle during the incident in question,” according to the lawsuit, which adds that in March/April of 2025, “Ms. Pizzarelli had a Facebook profile which did feature an older photograph of herself with red hair.”

“Ms. Pizzarelli, however, dyed her hair brown on February 4, 2025 – a full 7 weeks before the March 26 incident and did not have red hair during the incident in question,” claims the lawsuit.

“Defendant Correia further reported having secured footage from a Flock camera and concluded, in his opinion, the driver in the footage ‘matches’ Ms. Pizzarelli’s driver’s license photo. Defendant Halloran then prepared a criminal complaint charging Ms. Pizzarelli with reckless driving and eluding police among other traffic offenses and obtained a warrant for her arrest,” the lawsuit continues. “Upon information and belief, no other suspects were identified or investigated in relation to this  incident, nor was the registered owner of the vehicle ever contacted or questioned.”

The lawsuit maintains that policed “failed to establish probable cause” and that “at no point prior to seeking an arrest warrant did Defendants possess reliable evidence establishing probable cause that Ms. Pizzarelli was the operator of the vehicle involved in the incident” and that “the identification of Ms. Pizzarelli was based primarily on a generic description of a ‘white, middle-aged woman with red hair,’ and a single social media photograph obtained through an unrelated investigative search.”

East Providence Arrest

When Pizzarelli was arrested for the traffic violation charge on April 8, 2025, the lawsuit says that “while in custody of the CPD, Defendants questioned Ms. Pizzarelli regarding her driving, an individual named ‘Gerald,’ and prior personal associations."

“Ms. Pizzarelli stated she did not understand the basis for these questions and denied any involvement or knowledge of the incident in question,” the lawsuit maintains.

At the time of her arrest by East Providence police, Ms. Pizzarelli was not driving the Volkswagen involved in the incident in question, according to the lawsuit.

“Ms. Pizzarelli was booked, processed, and released after over six hours in custody [and] was subject to pending criminal proceedings arising from Defendants’ actions from March 26, 2025 through October 14, 2025, a period of approximately 202 days, when all the charges were dismissed,” the lawsuit continues.

Pizzarelli is suing on four counts - including two counts of Civil Rights violations under United States Code, negligence by the Town of Cumberland and Cumberland Police, and false imprisonment - and she is seeking damages.

Cumberland Police Chief Matthew Benson responded to GoLocal on Thursday.

"As with any active civil litigation, it would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time," wrote Benson.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated at 9:11 AM on 6/18/26 with Chief Benson's comment.