Middletown Police Log: Four Arrests Reported from Holiday Weekend

The reported the following recent arrests:

Marijuana Possession, Underage Possession of Alcohol

Johanally Matta, 19, of 237 Park Holm, Newport, was arrested around 9:10 p.m. Saturday evening on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession and underage possession of alcohol.

According to the arrest report, police stopped the car she was driving near the intersection of Beacon and Peace streets for not having a visible registration plate. As the police officer approached the car, he was able to see a temporary registration in the rear window. However, the police officer observed the driver to have bloodshot eyes and mumbled speech and continued to question the driver.

As the officer returned to the police cruiser to run a background check of the driver and passenger, the officer observed Matta turning in her seat and allegedly stuffing something into one of the two rear children’s car seats. The police officer returned to Matta’s car and detected the fresh odor of marijuana. Matta denied placing anything in the rear car seat and said that she was trying to get one of the children to stop crying.

After a second police officer arrived on scene and asked Matta to step outside the car for a search, they allegedly recovered three bags of marijuana that Matta had concealed in her clothing.

A search of the car also turned up an empty cup next to the child’s car seat that smelled of vodka, along with a puddle of liquid and ice cubes inside the child’s seat that also smelled heavily of vodka. A half-emptied vodka bottle also was recovered from a storage pouch behind the front passenger seat.

A relative who arrived on scene took the two children into family custody.

Marijuana Possession

Timothy W. Oman, 20, of 106 Linda Road, Tiverton, was arrested around 10:34 a.m. Sunday on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession.

According to the arrest report, police stopped the car he was driving within the 200 Block of West Main Road after observing the car make a turn and change lanes without using a signal. During questioning the police officer detected the smell of marijuana. A blunt marijuana cigarette and bag of marijuana allegedly were recovered from under the front passenger seat and center console. The driver told police they belonged to Oman. He was arrested without incident.

Disorderly Conduct

A 13-year-old male Newport resident was arrested around 6:10 p.m. Saturday on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

According to the arrest report, a police officer was performing an unrelated traffic stop when the youth passed him on a skateboard in the middle of Maple Avenue. The police officer yelled at the youth twice, ordering him to get out of the road but the teen continued to skate away down the road. The police officer then observed an approaching car swerve to avoid hitting the skater.

A second police officer stopped the youth on Rockwood Road and charged him with disorderly conduct. He was processed at the Middletown Police Station and later released to the custody of a parent.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

Kelly Marie Mettler, 44, of 25 Junior St., New Bedford, was arrested around 2:01 a.m. Saturday morning on a misdemeanor first offense charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to the arrest report, a patrol officer clocked the car she was driving at speeds of 47 to 60 mph in a posted 25 mph zone on West Main Road and observed the car swerve and cross the central dividing line several times. The car was stopped within the 700 Block of West Main Road.

During questioning, the police officer detected a strong odor of alcohol and observed Mettler to have bloodshot and glossy eyes, a flushed face and thick-tongued speech. Mettler allegedly told the officer she had two beers with dinner and thought it was 11:30 p.m. when it was actually close to 2 a.m. Mettler was arrested after a field sobriety test was conducted at the scene.

Mettler also was cited for refusing to submit to a chemical test at the police station to measure her blood-alcohol concentration (BAC), speeding and for driving on the wrong side of the road.