Crime & Safety
Weekend Arrests: Man Yells and Raises Fist at Officer, DUIs, Drug Possession
The following arrests were reported by the Middletown Police Station. Arrests do not indicate a conviction.
Thomas Welby, 40, of 765 Jepson Ln, was arrested on Friday night around 11:07 p.m. on charges of disorderly conduct after he yelled and raised a fist at an officer.
Police said they followed Welby after they clocked him traveling at 47 mph in a 25 mph zone on Coddington Highway. They said he turned left onto West Main Road and then made a sudden turn into the Blue Plate Diner parking lot.
Welby allegedly exited his car and yelled and cursed at the officer. Police said he continued yelling obscenities and threw a bag of chips that was in his hand against his truck. The officer grabbed Welby by the arm and told him to face his truck. Welby allegedly raised his hand up by his face and made a fist. The officer grabbed Welby by his hand, turned him around and pinned him against the truck.
Once in the cruiser, the officer reported Welby became cooperative and apologetic. He told the officer he was not thinking clearly because he was just in an argument on the phone with his girlfriend.
Felony Drug Possession
Karen Dufault, 50, of 301 Newbury St., Danvers, Mass., was arrested on Sunday night around 9:14 p.m. on a Felony drug possession charge. Police responded after a witness said a white Nissan Altima was swerving across the road, mounted the curb and almost struck a telephone pole. Police said when they arrived, the car was stopped at a green light, and another motorist was checking on Dufault.
Police reported Dufault was sleepy and closed her eyes for moments at a time. She reportedly told police that she had a bad day. She handed police a bag of pills that were later identified as Diazepam, which is used for the treatment of seizures or anxiety.
Police took Dufault to the Newport Hospital for treatment. At the hospital, she told police she bought the pills earlier that day on the street in Pawtucket.
Domestic Assault
Jacob Trifero, 31, of 14 Bayview Park, was arrested on Saturday afternoon around 2:30 p.m. after he pushed another man into a door during a fight over a missing lighter. He was charged with domestic simple assault and domestic vandalism.
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Driving Under the Influence
Paul Anctil, 54, of 640 Meridan St., Fall River, was arrested on Saturday morning at approximately 1:12 a.m. on charges of driving under the influence/.15 or greater. Police said they attempted to pull over Anctil’s vehicle after they observed him driving erratically on East Main Road, but despite the use of the air horn and siren, he did not stop. Police said once he eventually stopped his car was completely mounted on the curb.
Police said Anctil was unable to count backwards from 37 to 21 and he failed the finger touch test. He failed the field sobriety tests and was brought into custody. At the Middletown Police Station, Anctil took a chemical test which returned a blood alcohol count of .190 and .182.
Anthony Wong, 33, of 53 Tucker Ln., North Dartmouth, was arrested on Saturday morning at approximately 2:48 a.m. for driving under the influence. Police pulled over Wong after they said he was traveling at 58 mph in the posted 25 mph zone on West Main Road. Police say he insisted he was not driving that fast and thought the speed limit was faster. They reported he smelled of alcohol, his face was reddish and his eyes were bloodshot.
Police said during the field sobriety tests Wong would spontaneously break into laughter. After Police said he failed the sobriety tests, they transported him to the Middletown Police Station for processing without incident.
