By Elizabeth F. McNamara

Monday, Nov. 25

8:44 a.m. – A caller told police it looked like someone who appeared to be drunk was getting into a car parked at the Cumberland Farms on South County Trail and gave police the license plate number. Police went to the car owner’s residence and found the car there. The owner said his son had been driving the car and that he has mobility issues due to a previous accident. Police said the son was not impaired.

9:46 a.m. – A woman called police to complain about someone who made an obscene gesture to her and pounded her car after she beeped her horn at him because he was walking in the parking lot at 1000 Division Street while looking down at his phone. 

10:44 a.m. – The general manager of Dunkin’ Donuts on Main Street told police someone broke into the store’s safe and took between $3,000 and $5,000 in cash sometime overnight. Video surveillance showed a man about 5’4” tall come in through the main entrance at about 10:22 p.m. Sunday. He proceeded to enter the office where the safe was, then exited out the back door. Police found pry marks on the front door. 

12:52 p.m. – A Division Street resident called police to say a strange man was walking around his house; the caller then realized his wife had hired people to clean the gutters.

Tuesday, Nov. 26

1:24 a.m. – A caller asked police to check on a friend who had been drinking and had said something about “turning the gas on.” Police checked with the man, who seemed OK. No smell of gas detected.

Wednesday, Nov. 27

6:35 a.m. – A Coventry man told police he’d been assaulted by another man in the parking lot in front of Cumberland Farms on South County Trail. The Coventry man said he pulled into the parking lot at the same time as the other man. Out of their cars, the other man started yelling at the Coventry man, who said he didn’t know the other man. Then, the other man grabbed the Coventry man and punched him in the face. When the Coventry man asked him why he’d done that, the other man entered the store. The Coventry man then called the police; when the other man came out of the store, he called the Coventry man a crybaby and departed. A witness corroborated the Coventry man’s version of events. Video surveillance did not capture the alleged assault. With the license plate number, police found the car owner lived in West Greenwich. WG police found no one at home at the address. The Coventry man then told police he did not want to pursue charges so no further actions were taken.

Noon – A Newport Biodiesel employee told police someone had taken grease from the tank behind Dave’s Market at 1000 Division Street in the early hours of Tuesday. Video surveillance showed a man cutting the lock on the tank and removing grease. The camera also picked up the van’s license number, which was out of New York. But checks did not turn up a match with the vehicle seen in the video (a white Econoline van). This is the second time a theft there has been reported in the past three weeks. Newport Biodiesel said it would press charges if someone was caught.

1:45 p.m. – A Main Street Dunkin’ Donuts employee told police someone had etched a profanity onto her car. While she could not be positive the vandalism took place while she was working, she had not noticed it until after her shift ended earlier Wednesday.

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3:06 p.m. – A Maplewood Drive resident complained about a neighbor’s barking dog, another in a series of complaints about the same issue. Police advised the resident about possible remedies to the situation.

10:16 p.m. – A caller said someone appeared to be in a doctor’s office on Main Street; police investigated and found someone cleaning the office.

Friday, Nov. 29

3:55 a.m. – A caller reported someone who appeared to be passed out in their car in the McDonald’s parking lot on New London Turnpike. Police spoke with the person who said she was merely resting in the middle of a long drive and would be on her way shortly. 

4 a.m. – The manager at Dave’s Market at 1000 Division Street told police someone had taken about 80 pallets from the loading dock area at around 10:30 Thursday night. Video footage showed someone driving an older-style pickup truck with a flatbed trailer pull up and take the pallets. The manager said a similar theft happened last week.

Noon – A Maplewood Drive resident came to the station to complain about two dogs left outside by his neighbor who bark a lot. The man has made several complaints. Police spoke with the dog owner, who said he was looking for new homes for the dogs and said he would try to keep the dogs quiet.

Saturday, Nov. 30

6:40 p.m. – The Maplewood Drive resident called police to again complain about the neighbor’s barking dog. Police found the dog tied up in the backyard, barking uncontrollably. They contacted the dog’s owner, who said he would be home in 10 minutes. Police told the resident who called they would need complaints from three separate people to be able to file a nuisance order. They also suggested the man contact the RISPCA for additional guidance.

Sunday, Dec. 1

1:21 a.m. – Police found an occupied car in a parking lot at the high school; they sent the teen driver home; police took the teen passenger home. Both teens were told they could not be on town property after hours.

6:34 p.m. – A man called to say his brother was arguing with him; police drove the man to a hotel for the evening.

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