Digital Extra: The Station Fire

01:00 AM EST on Thursday, February 26, 2004

BY ZACHARY R. MIDER
Journal Staff Writer

WEST WARWICK -- Last May, someone stole a donation pail for The Station fire victims from a local convenience store.

The theft was clearly visible on the in-store surveillance tape at Bahras Market, 51 West Warwick Ave., but for months the police were unable to identify the culprit.

Last week, the police charged Glenn P. Dufault, 34, formerly of 50 Murray St. in Coventry and currently an inmate in the Adult Correctional Institutions.

Dufault, who is serving a year's sentence for felony larceny, was arraigned in District Court, Warwick, yesterday on a charge of misdemeanor larceny for the theft of the collection pail, believed to have contained about $200.

According to a police affidavit, several anonymous callers identified Dufault as the thief after the police aired the surveillance video on local TV stations. The police learned that he sometimes worked for Scott W. Reed, 35, who runs a painting business, Paint It Your Way, from his home, at 152 Pawtuxet Terrace in West Warwick.

But the case languished until December, when a patrolman pulled over Reed's vehicle on Providence Street for a traffic violation and found pipes for smoking cocaine and marijuana, and a bottle marked "methadone," according to a police report. Subsequent tests found residue of cocaine, marijuana, and methadone on the items, the police said.

Last Saturday, after tests were completed, the police arrested Reed on drug-possession charges.

While at police headquarters, Reed was shown the surveillance video and identified Dufault, his former employee, the affidavit states. Reed was released days later on bail.