BB gun confiscated at art festival

SCITUATE — The police confiscated a BB rifle that they said a 9-year-old boy was carrying around at the Scituate Arts Festival last weekend, Deputy Police Chief Stephen B. Lang reported on Wednesday.

Lang said the child’s mother had just purchased the rifle from a dealer “selling antiques and a few BB guns,” Lang said.

He said he turned the weapon over to the boy’s mother and spoke with the dealer.

“I explained this was an art show, not a gun show,” the deputy chief said. “I told him no more arms were to be sold. A BB is classified as a weapon, as a firearm.”

Because the festival is held on the grounds of the North Scituate Elementary School, Lang said, weapon sales are prohibited. “You can’t have firearms on school grounds,” he said.

Lang said no charges were lodged. He said the police will discuss the matter with the committee that organizes the annual festival.

— Thomas J. Morgan

Warwick man charged with assaulting family

WARWICK — A 33-year-old Warwick man was arrested Monday after he had an argument with his 12-year-old son and ended up assaulting family members, including his wheelchair-bound mother, according to the police.

Richard A. Bolandz, of 3 Lister St., was charged with one count of domestic felony assault on his mother, domestic simple assault on his girlfriend, one count of simple assault on his son, and domestic disorderly conduct for acting violent and threatening in front of his family members, according to Lt. Kenneth LaForce.

The police received the call at 6:37 p.m. from family members. They were told that Bolandz was smashing windows and everything else inside the house, according to Laforce. Family members had gone outside to wait for the police.

The police arrived to find Bolandz sitting at the kitchen table holding a bloody paper towel to his right hand. He did not put up a fight, LaForce said.

Family members told the police that Bolandz became enraged after his 12-year-old son said an obscenity to him.

He was arraigned in District Court, Warwick, and was issued a no-contact order. He was released on $20,000 personal recognizance.

— Tatiana Pina

Artist pleads not guilty to assaulT

SCITUATE — A Connecticut artist pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault Wednesday in District Court, Warwick, after she allegedly tried to block a Providence Journal photographer from videotaping her display at the Scituate Art Festival on Monday.

Susan M. Peifer, 56, of Chaplin, Conn., was released by Judge Jeanne LaFazia pending another court appearance on the misdemeanor charge on Oct. 28.

Deputy Police Chief Stephen B. Lang said that Peifer asked photographer Andrew Dickerman to cease videotaping, and, when Dickerman refused, pushed the camera against his face.

Lang said officers summoned a rescue truck, but Dickerman declined treatment for what Lang described as a watery, bloodshot eye.

He said Dickerman showed the tape to investigators. The tape depicted a woman approaching and placing her hand on the camera, he said. Lang said Dickerman declined to give officers the tape as evidence.

“A lot of the artists get upset when people take pictures of their artwork,” the deputy chief said, adding that some use digital photography techniques to reproduce the artwork for free. “It’s like kids downloading songs from the Internet,” he said.

— Thomas J. Morgan

Warwick man charged in hit-and-run

WARWICK — A city man has been arrested on charges he left the scene of an accident last week that seriously injured two women, the police said.

The police said Joshua G. Ellinwood, 18, of 399 George Arden Ave. in Warwick was traveling south on Nausauket Road on Oct. 9 around 8:30 p.m. when he ran a red light at the intersection of Long Street and Nausauket Road and collided with a car with the two women, Lt. Michael Gilbert said.

The police said Ellinwood and his passengers fled the car on foot, but one of the men returned to the scene later and identified Ellinwood as the driver of the car.

— Staff report

ATM suspect surrenders after news report

WARWICK — A Providence man turned himself in to the Warwick police — with cash in hand — after seeing his photograph on a news report on a list of Rhode Island’s most wanted criminals, the police said.

Steven D. Thomas, 41, of 30 Dixon St., was charged with computer access for fraud, a felony. He entered no plea at a District Court arraignment Wednesday and was released on personal recognizance.

Warwick police Lt. Michael Gilbert said Thomas was captured on video surveillance at Warwick Mall withdrawing $720 from an ATM with a card that had been reported lost or stolen at the mall.

The police are still investigating whether the ATM card was lost or stolen.

A felony screening has been scheduled for Nov. 16.

— Staff report

N. Kingstown man held without bail in assault

WARWICK — A North Kingstown man is being held without bail on charges he assaulted a woman with kitchen knives and raped her Tuesday.

Justin Grant Kennaway, 30, of 40 Malcolm Rd., North Kingstown, was arrested Monday on felony charges of domestic sexual assault in the first-degree and domestic felony assault and misdemeanor charges of domestic simple assault/battery, domestic disorderly conduct and domestic vandalism/malicious injury to property.

According to the arrest report, the alleged incident occurred at the woman’s house in Warwick Tuesday afternoon.

The police seized as evidence kitchen knives used in the alleged assault, a damaged mobile phone and a beer bottle.

Kennaway, who was on probation on a previous conviction, was ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim at a District Court arraignment Wednesday and ordered held without bail.

On Aug. 24, 2004, Kennaway pleaded no contest to charges of first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit a felony and was sentenced to 5 years in prison and 15 years suspended and 15 years’ probation on the robbery charge, and 10 years suspended and 10 years’ probation on the conspiracy charge.

A felony screening has been scheduled for Nov. 16.

— Staff report