By Tiffany Williams –
A Rhode Island man and woman were among a string of arrests this week as state police and local authorities cracked down on everything from drug possession to assault — with one case in Worcester turning bloody.
On Sept. 16, the ACI Investigations Unit cuffed 42-year-old Whab Abiola of Pawtucket on a simple assault charge. He was hauled to Lincoln Barracks, arraigned in Third Division District Court, and sprung on personal recognizance. Just a day earlier, investigators grabbed 35-year-old Sary Khorn of Cranston, accusing him of scamming more than $10,000 under false pretenses. He too walked free on personal recognizance.
Later that same day, troopers on I-95 in Warwick stopped 29-year-old Antwyon Mitchell of Pawtucket and uncovered an alleged trove of counterfeit credit card gear, forgery evidence, and more than two ounces of marijuana. Mitchell was booked at Hope Valley Barracks and cut loose with a future court date.
That evening in Exeter, three Massachusetts men were busted in the same traffic stop. Troopers say 33-year-old Willie Norfleet of Quincy had cocaine, while 31-year-old Cornell Boyd of Randolph and 32-year-old Devante Petty-Creech of Mattapan were nailed for possessing over two ounces of weed. Boyd was also hit with obstructing an officer. All three were arraigned by a Justice of the Peace and released.
At 10:43 p.m. that night, troopers in West Greenwich pulled over 55-year-old Daniel Jeanloz of Hope Valley, who allegedly blew a blood alcohol level of .106 and .101 on two tests. He was charged with DUI first offense and released pending court.
In the early hours of Sept. 17, police say 40-year-old Magloir Basile of Brooklyn, N.Y., was arrested with more than 10 grams of a controlled substance. Hours later, troopers in Providence collared 53-year-old Melanie Ferreira of West Warwick with Suboxone. She was processed, arraigned, and released.
Also on Sept. 16, 37-year-old Simone Williams of Providence was nailed for receiving stolen goods under $1,500 after a stop on Gilmore Street. That same day, 38-year-old Jerome B. Depina of Lincoln was taken into custody at Sixth Division District Court on a disorderly conduct charge.
But the violence wasn’t limited to Rhode Island. In Worcester, chaos erupted around 2 a.m. Sept. 13 when cops found a brawl in a Water Street lot. A man hit the pavement with a stab wound to the abdomen as a woman charged him. Officers wrestled her into cuffs after she tried to bolt.
The victim, who claimed he’d never seen her before, was rushed to a hospital. A pocketknife was recovered. Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Makayli Melendez of Worcester, now facing assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct charges. Detectives are digging deeper into the case.