By DANIEL KITTREDGE

Officer uses naloxone to prevent fatal overdose

A Cranston police officer already lauded for his late March rescue of a man from a burning vehicle in East Providence recently used the life-saving drug naloxone to prevent a fatal heroin overdose, Chief of Police Col. Michael J. Winquist announced last week.

Shortly after 1 a.m. on April 1, Officer Brenton Medeiros was dispatched following an emergency call from the mother of a 20-year-old female. The daughter had been found unconscious after injecting heroin.

“Officer Medeiros quickly responded and was the first to arrive on scene where he assessed the female victim who was unconscious with a faint pulse and labored breathing,” according to the chief’s statement. “Officer Medeiros recognized these indicators from his training as being associated with the potential fatal effects of a heroin overdose. He immediately injected the victim with his department-issued naloxone, which sustained the victim’s vital signs until the arrival of the Cranston Fire Department. As the victim was being placed in the rescue, she regained consciousness and her vital signs quickly improved. She was transported to Kent County Hospital for treatment and was later released.”

“I am thankful that we were able to receive a donation from the Virginia-based company kaléo that allowed us to train and equip all of our first-line officers with the life-saving drug naloxone. Having this drug on hand where seconds can make the difference between life and death is imperative,” Winquist said. “If it wasn’t for Officer Medeiros’s quick response and injection of naloxone, the outcome in this case would likely have been tragic, resulting in the unnecessary loss of another young person suffering from opioid addiction. We must continue to combat this epidemic through treatment, education, and targeting those who profit from the sale of illicit drugs. I commend Officer Medeiros, who incredibly saved the lives of two individuals in less than a week.”

Robbery, carjacking

suspect arrested in Conn.

A man wanted in connection with a robbery and carjacking in Cranston was taken into custody in Connecticut last week.

Jerry Cintron, 33, was arrested at the Walmart store in Lisbon, Conn., without incident on April 7, according to a statement from Chief of Police Col. Michael J. Winquist. Members of the Rhode Island State Police, Norwich Police Department and New Haven Regional Task Force assisted in apprehending Cintron.

Cintron, who is charged with second-degree robbery, was arraigned as a fugitive from justice and waived extradition. He has since been returned to Rhode Island, and was ordered held without bail in connection with a previous, unrelated matter.

Police had identified Cintron as their suspect early last week, and indicated that he has a lengthy criminal history and had recently been released from the Adult Correctional Institution.

He was sought in an armed robbery that occurred at the Shear Dimensions Hair Salon on Reservoir Avenue at approximately 9 a.m. on March 29, and in the subsequent carjacking of a vehicle occupied by a woman and her infant child on Knollwood Avenue. The woman and child were both unharmed.

Heroin trafficker

sentenced to federal prison

A Cranston man has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after being convicted of heroin trafficking.

Andres Garay, 28, will serve a 69-month sentence after pleading guilty in January to possessing more than 100 grams of heroin with the intent to deliver, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha.

The sentence includes Garay’s violation of the terms of his federal probation on a previous drug trafficking conviction. He was serving five years of federal probation on a charge of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute at the time of his June 2014 arrest on the latest charges.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, evidence presented in court indicated that Providence police encountered Garay outside a residence on June 25, 2014, and found him to be in possession of a pair of glassine packets of heroin. Further investigation led police to believe additional heroin was being stored inside the residence, and a court-authorized search resulted in the seizure of 1,850 glassine packets of heroin, two coffee grinders containing more than 118 grams of the drug, and various items used in heroin packaging and distribution.

Man charged with $1M fraudulent insurance claim

A Cranston man has been arrested for allegedly filing a false accidental death insurance claim for $1 million.

Richard Dorval, 45, of 22 Ryder Ave., was arrested April 8 by members of the Rhode Island State Police Auto Theft and Insurance Fraud Unit, which had received a referral from investigators with the Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company. He is charged with filing a false insurance claim.

According to state police, the insurance company asked authorities to investigate an accidental death insurance claim of which Dorval was the sole beneficiary. The policy had been drafted for Dorval’s purported uncle, and would pay the full $1 million in the event the uncle was killed while a passenger “in any public land, air or water conveyance provided by a common carrier or scheduled airline.”

Dorval is alleged to have submitted false documents to Mutual of Omaha in February 2014 indicated the uncle has been killed in a bus accident in Haiti. Police said the investigation into the claim found that passengers involved in the alleged accident had sustained only minor injuries, and further revealed no evidence.

“Investigators, through the course of their investigation, reviewed additional documents that were allegedly provided to Mutual of Omaha by Mr. Dorval that were proven to be fraudulent,” the state police release states. “Furthermore, in August, 2014, and after being questioned by Mutual of Omaha investigators, Richard Dorval withdrew his claim on the accidental death insurance policy.”

Dorval was arraigned in Third District Court in Warwick on April 8 and released on $10,000 surety bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 29.

Police announce ‘Click

It or Ticket’ results

Cranston police have announced the results of a recent “Click It or Ticket” campaign.

The Cranston Police Department, working with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s Office on Highway Safety, took part in the semi-annual “Operation Blue Riptide” initiative, according to Chief of Police Col. Michael J. Winquist. The effort is meant to enforce the state’s seatbelt laws and raise awareness that seatbelts save lives.

Between March 23 and March 29, according to the chief, 21 officers made contact with 235 motorists. A total of 221 violations were issued, including 11 speeding violations, 162 seatbelt violations and three child restraint violations.

There were 45 other violations found for a range of offenses, including possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, failure to obey traffic control devices, failure to provide proof of insurance, and operating an unregistered motor vehicle.

During the campaign, Cranston police made nine arrests, including eight for operating a motor vehicle on a suspended license and one on an outstanding court warrant.

“Enforcing of our state’s mandatory seatbelt law remains a critical part of our efforts to reduce traffic fatalities,” Winquist said. “We will continue to conduct strict enforcement of all motor vehicle violations in the city of Cranston, especially those that directly endanger the motoring public. I applaud the efforts of those officers who worked during the campaign. I also appreciate the continued support and partnership of the Department of Transportation, Office of Highway Safety who is working with law enforcement to reach the ultimate goal of zero traffic fatalities in our state.”