SK Police Log: November 2, 2012

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

South Kingstown Woman Charged With Drunken Driving, Second Offense

Victoria S. Shinagel, 51, of 16 Fire Lane Five, South Kingstown, was arrested at about 2:40 p.m. on Nov. 2 and charged with drunken driving, second offense.

According to police, an officer on Post Road near South Road saw a blue convertible driven by Shinagel go through a stop sign without stopping. A traffic stop was made on Post Road as a result.

Police said that the driver – Shinagel – appeared incoherent and smelled of alcohol. She told police that her poor driving was due to being discharged from South County Hospital.

According to police, Shinagel provided police with paperwork for her stay at the hospital, which was for alcohol withdrawal. However, a dispatcher confirmed with the hospital that Shinagel had been discharged at about 10:30 a.m., two hours before the traffic stop.

Police said Shinagel consented to field sobriety tests, which she failed, at which point she was arrested. Police said an inventory of Shinagel’s car revealed two bottles of vanilla extract, one empty and one full, with an alcohol content of 35 percent.

According to police, Shinagel consented to chemical breath tests at headquarters, which revealed blood alcohol levels of .160 at 4:08 p.m. and .161 at 4:10 p.m. She was processed and then released at about 6:07 p.m.

According to online records, Shinagel hasn’t been arrested. However, according to a past Patch report, Shinagel was sentenced in a previous drunken driving case in October 2010. It’s unknown if she appealed this decision, or if it was remanded to traffic court on an appeal.

Foreign Man Charged With Driving Without License; Deportation Probable

Fernando Alexander Ruiz, 36, of 24 Home St., West Warwick, was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 2 and charged with driving without a license.

According to police, an officer traveling behind a grey Nissan driven by Ruiz on Route 1 near the Holiday Inn clocked it at 65 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone. A traffic stop was made on Route 1 as a result.

Police said a background check revealed that Ruiz didn’t have a license, and his passport and Rhode Island ID card provided two different birth dates.

As a result, Ruiz was arrested, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified. Police said that while in custody, Ruiz claimed to be a Guatemalan citizen, but police later learned this his passport was also a forgery, and immigration officials believed Ruiz to be a Mexican citizen.

Police held Ruiz for arraignment in Fourth Division District Court the morning of Nov. 2, after which immigration officials took custody of Ruiz.

Five Cited for Alcohol at House Party

At about 11:56 p.m. on Nov. 2, police received a report of a loud party at 2500 Kingstown Road.

According to police, when they arrived, about 25 people were outside on a patio, with most attempting to go back into the house when they noticed police.

Police said they were attempting to check the ID of a man drinking on the patio, when they heard the noise of breaking glass, and instead entered the house to check for injuries.

According to police, the house was full of people, to the point where movement between rooms was almost impossible. Police found a broken window at the rear of the home, but no one would take responsibility for it.

Police said the home was cleared at this point, although the tenants claimed that none of the alcohol at the party belonged to them. All five were cited for possession of a beverage by an underage person. Police identified the tenants as:

• Benjamin A. Bergandy, 20, of 68 Indian Point Road, Tiverton
• Michael T. Perella, 19, of 78 Ledoux Lane, Tiverton
• Alexandra R. Azevedo, 19, of 749 East Road, Tiverton
• Alyssa A. Thornsbury, 19, of 163 Richard Drive, Tiverton
• Kelsey L. Sandgren, 19, of 22 Remington Circle, West Windsor, NJ

Police also noted that they confiscated a small satchel with marijuana and $147 cash, after none of the tenants would admit to ownership. According to online records, all five are students at the University of Rhode Island.

Unless otherwise noted, the information for this article was compiled from South Kingstown police reports, which are available for review by any member of the public at their headquarters. 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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