20-year-old faces drunken-driving charges

BARRINGTON — A 20-year-old Portsmouth youth was charged with drunken driving after he was observed driving the wrong way on the Wampanoag Trail — twice — early Thursday morning.

A Barrington patrolman saw Christopher Francis of 46 Kinsington Ave., Portsmouth, traveling southbound in the northbound lane near Walker Farm at about 4:45 a.m. The Nissan ignored the police siren, according to the police, drove past the patrolman, turned around and then headed north in the southbound lane. The police stopped the automobile at the intersection of County and Old County roads and told Francis to turn into the parking lot of the Barrington Christian Academy.

After failing the field sobriety tests, the police took Francis back to headquarters, where he refused to submit to an alcohol-breath test. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, refusing to submit to a breath test and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration.

— Linda Borg

Gas station robbed in Warwick

WARWICK — A gas station attendant in Warwick prevented an armed robbery around 11 p.m. Saturday by fighting back and the would-be robber fled, Warwick police said yesterday.

A white man, armed with a screwdriver, demanded money at the Valero gas station at 1625 Post Rd., not far from the airport, Warwick Police Capt. Matthew Costello said. The police are seeking a man about 5 feet 9 inches tall.

— Donita Naylor

Youths confronted over snowmen

BARRINGTON — Don’t mess with my snowmen.

Four youngsters said that a man rushed out of the woods on Saturday and yelled at them after they pushed over two snowmen on the East Bay Bike Path near the YMCA.

The boys told the police that a man in his 30s or 40s approached them, picked up one of their bikes and tossed it into the woods. Then, the man supposedly urinated on one of their bikes and kicked one of the tires. The boys rushed home and called the police.

A search of the bike path proved fruitless.

— Linda Borg

Providence police reassign 7 supervisors

PROVIDENCE — Police Chief Dean M. Esserman has reorganized his command staff, reassigning seven supervisors.

Among those who have been transferred or will be transferred soon are the newly promoted Capt. Thomas A. Verdi, commander of the Bureau of Narcotics and Organized Crime, and Capt. Keith J. Tucker, commander of the Youth Services Bureau, both of which units are part of the Investigative Division.

Lt. Michael E. Correia, who had been in charge of patrol District 7 in the Smith Hill, Elmhurst, Wanskuck and Charles neighborhoods, has been given the more prestigious post of narcotics commander.

Verdi is expected to move to the Administrative Division after helping Correia make the transition back to the narcotics bureau, where Correia used to be a detective.

Lt. George Stamatakos, commander of District 2 in upper South Providence, will take over at Youth Services, and Tucker will move to the Division of Homeland Security.

In other switches, Esserman has named Lt. Luis F. San Lucas to take over in District 4 in the West End and Federal Hill, and Lt. Daniel E. Gannon to take over for Correia in District 7. Both had been working late-night or overnight patrol shifts.

Lt. Mary Day, who had been commander in District 4, shifts to District 3 in Washington Park and Elmwood, and Lt. Alfred P. Zonfrilli, who had been commander in District 3, shifts to District 2 to take over for Stamatakos.

In an unrelated assignment, Lt. Timothy Lee has been appointed to supervise an upcoming police training academy.

–– Gregory Smith