Police: Cranston Crash Tied To North Smithfield Domestic Assault

NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI — A man from Fall River, Massachusetts faces felony charges after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, throwing her baby to the ground outside a North Smithfield Taco Bell, and the next day leading police on a chase through six Rhode Island communities before crashing his car in Cranston.

Elijah Laferriere, 25, faces multiple charges and was due to be arraigned in Third District Court today.

Saturday night at around 8 p.m. North Smithfield police were called to the Taco Bell at Dowling Village Boulevard for a report of a woman standing in the roadway holding an infant in her arms.

According to a news release from the North Smithfield Police Department, the woman said she and her boyfriend were arguing while traveling along Eddie Dowling Highway. She said Laferriere, who was driving, pulled over near the Taco Bell, got out, opened the rear door of the car, forcibly removed her by grabbing her hair and shirt, and threw her to the ground.

She told police Laferriere removed two child car seats from the car and threw them to the ground. One of the car seats contained the woman's four-month old baby. That car seat landed on its side, so the baby was not badly hurt. Witnesses to the incident helped the woman until police and rescue personnel arrived, the police department said.

Police obtained an arrest warrant for Laferriere and put out a BOLO. Sunday at around 1 p.m., Woonsocket police informed North Smithfield police that they were in pursuit of Laferriere’s vehicle. The car traveled south on Rt. 146 south through North Smithfield, Lincoln, North Providence, Providence, and Cranston. In Cranston, Laferriere crashed into a tree and fence in the front yard of a home at 265 Park Avenue. He then crashed into another tree on Cliffdale Avenue before coming to a stop, the police department said.

Laferriere was arrested on scene by North Smithfield officers. He was taken to Landmark Hospital for evaluation and then back to North Smithfield. Laferriere was remanded to the ACI in Cranston pending his court arraignment.

Laferriere was charged with:
1. Simple Assault Domestic
2. Disorderly Conduct Domestic
3. Cruelty of Neglect of a Child
4. Disorderly Conduct
5. Eluding Law Enforcement
6. Obstructing Officer in Execution of Duty
7. Possession of a Controlled Substance

Laferriere also had two outstanding warrants on unrelated assault charges, and additional charges may be pending, the North Smithfield Police Department said.