Wednesday, August 09 2006
CENTRAL FALLS, RI - Sometimes the signposts of a criminal trail can be footsteps in the snow or blood on the sidewalk. But in Jason Hernandez's
case, the telltale signs were cigars, wet mangos and broken glass, police allege.
It was shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday that the sound of breaking glass disturbed the the wee-hours quiet along Broad Street, triggering a report to police of a break-in in progress.
As Officer Joseph Tougas arrived at the scene he was flagged down by a witness who said he had seen a Hispanic male in a maroon sweathshirt and dark pants breaking into L&M Mini Market, 518 Broad St., then head west on Pacific Street toward Washington Street.
Along the sidewalk on Pacific Street, Tougas found four Dutch Masters cigars and several wet mangos apparently left in a hasty departure.
Spotting a man walking fast near Central Falls High School who fit the suspect's description, Detective Wayne Solan called for backup and with several other officers stopped Hernandez, 23, of 145 Earle St. outside the school.
Examining the slim Hernandez, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 145 pounds, Officer Craig Horton found fresh cuts on his left arm and near his right shoulder blade that he determined were consistent with breaking a window and arrested him without incident.
Hernandez was transported to the Dunkin' Donuts parking lot on Broad Street where the witness identified him as the man he saw breaking the minimart window and reaching inside.
Hernandez then allegedly admitted he had stuck his hand through the window to grab some blunts and cigars, but claimed the window was already broken.
After processing at the station, Hernandez, accompanied by Officer Derrick Levasseur, was taken by city rescue to Memorial Hospital for treatment of his cuts.
Tougas, in photographing the damage to the market, recovered four packages of wet mangos and four cigars on one side of the store, and a cigar and empty box a bit farther away.
The store's owner, Alfredo Sanchez, 41, of Providence told police approximately five boxes of Dutch Masters, each with 55 cigars and valued at $37, were missing.
A more complete inventory later listed as missing two Phillies Black Max blunts and another Phillies blunt, a Dutch Masters Dutchie, a Dutch Masters Master, and the five cases of Dutch Masters cigars.
Hernandez was charged with one count of breaking into a building with intent to commit a felony and held for arraignment.
Hernandez is no stranger to the law. He has been arrested on various drug charges by state police and police in Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls, as well as on domestic assault and other charges, a total of 13 times since 2001, according to the online state Adult Criminal Database.
In April 2003, he was sentenced in Superior Court to 30 months to serve and 114 months of probation in apparent resolution of several drug charges.
Source: By Douglas Hadden in the Pawtucket Times (August 7, 2006)
© The Pawtucket Times 2006
