Police: Woman Hides Pot In Toilet After DWI Arrest

Unless otherwise noted, information about the following incidents was supplied by the Narragansett Police Department. An arrest does not indicate a conviction.

Newport Woman Charged With Drunken Driving; Tries to Hide Pot in Police Toilet

Minerva M. Cruz, 22, of 143 Third St., Newport, was arrested at about 2:02 a.m. on March 1 and charged with drunken driving with a blood alcohol level between .10 and .15.

According to police, an officer traveling on Point Judith Road near Foddering Farm Road clocked a grey Volvo driven by Cruz at 15 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone. After also noticing the car drifting and changing lanes without signaling, police said a traffic stop was made near Mariner Square and Dunkin’ Donuts.

Police said while speaking to Cruz, she smelled strongly of alcohol but denied drinking. Police said she consented to field sobriety tests, which she failed.

According to police, at this point Cruz was arrested. Police said a passenger in the car drove it from the scene, noting that the passenger passed field sobriety tests before being allowed to drive.

Police said at headquarters, Cruz consented to chemical breath tests, which revealed blood alcohol levels of .129 at 2:25 a.m. and .132 at 2:27 a.m.

According to police, while Cruz was alone in her cell, a lieutenant and a dispatcher noted her trying to conceal something in the toilet bowl of her cell.

Police said a search of the toilet revealed a small plastic baggie with what appeared to be marijuana. However, police said the substance was now contaminated from the toilet water and also too small of a quantity to test.

Exeter Man Charged With Drunken Driving

Justin L. Laplume, 21, of 317 Hog House Hill Road, Exeter, was arrested at about 1:42 a.m. on March 1 and charged with drunken driving, and cited for refusing to submit to a chemical test.

According to police, an officer traveling behind a blue Ford Explorer on Point Judith Road near Sand Hill Cove saw it swerving, and abruptly accelerating and braking. Police noted that when a traffic stop was initiated, the Explorer came to a “screeching” stop, and the wheels hit a curb.

Police said that the driver – Laplume – had to be asked multiple times for his license, and noted that he dropped his wallet three times. Police also noted that when he was asked to leave his vehicle to submit to field sobriety tests, he attempted to leave his seat with his seat belt still on.

According to police, Laplume failed field sobriety tests and was arrested as a result. Police said two passengers in the car consented to breath tests, but both failed. As a result, the Explorer was towed from the scene.

Police said that at headquarters, Laplume refused to consent to a chemical breath test. As a result, he was cited for this violation as well.

Alcohol Violations

- Johnathan F. Krupka, 19, of 20 Duhamel Ave., Charlestown, was cited at about 10 p.m. on March 1 and charged with transportation of alcohol by a minor. Police said Krupka is a student at the University of Rhode Island.

According to police, an officer monitoring traffic from the parking lot of St. Mary’s Church on Point Judith Road saw a blue Mazda 3 with a defective driver’s side headlight. A traffic stop was made on Green Brier Road near Coffey Avenue.

Police said that while speaking with the driver – Krupka – two six-packs of Narragansett Beer could be seen in the car. He was cited for the violation, and the alcohol was confiscated and destroyed.

- Emily V. Shanstrom, 19, of 216 Kings Ridge Road, South Kingstown, was cited at about 1:20 a.m. on March 1 and charged with transportation of alcohol by a minor. Police said Shanstrom is a student at the University of Rhode Island.

According to police, a silver Nissan Altima failed to yield properly at the Dillon Rotary, and also turned from the right lane to the left without signaling near the intersection of Woodruff and Point Judith Road. A traffic stop was made near Jerry’s Hardware on Point Judith Road.

Police said that when they asked Shanstrom about her driving, she told them she was talking on her cell phone and had gotten distracted. Police said four bottles of Bud Platinum beer could be seen behind the driver’s side seat.

According to police, the alcohol was confiscated and destroyed, and Shanstrom was cited. Police noted that Shanstrom showed no signs of intoxication, and she was allowed to drive from the scene.

Unless otherwise noted, the information for this article was compiled from Narragansett police reports, which are available for review by any member of the public at their headquarters on Caswell Street. If we’re missing a call or report you’re interested in knowing about, feel free to leave a comment or to send Local Editor Stephen Greenwell a message at Stephen.greenwell@patch.com.

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