Crime & Safety
Johnston Man Arrested Twice in One Day for Phone Threats
Local police say the Simmonsville Avenue resident called his grandmother in violation of a no-contact order.
arrested Joseph L. Caprio, 26, of 210 Simmonsville Ave., twice in less than six hours for allegedly calling and threatening his grandmother, then violating a no-contact order imposed for the first charge on May 25.
Caprio’s grandmother called the police around 12 p.m. to report a threatening phone call on May 25.
During the conversation, Caprio's grandmother said he threatened to beat up her and her husband. He called her a “crazy [expletive]” and said he was not going to pay her, according to the police report filed by Ptlm. Jeffrey Fryer.
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The grandmother also told Fryer that Caprio said he had guns and would shoot anyone who went to his house.
After Fryer and Sgt. Vieira were unable to contact Caprio, officers issues a warrant for Caprio’s arrest. Caprio turned himself in at Johnston Police Headquarters at 6:10 p.m.
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Officers arraigned Caprio on a felony charge of domestic crank or obscene phone calls and a misdemeanor charge of domestic disorderly conduct. He was released on $1,000 person recognizance, and ordered to have no contact with his grandmother at the arraignment.
After his release at 10:40 p.m., police reported that Caprio used his girlfriend's cell phone to call his grandmother at 10:47 p.m. He again used profanity to call her names and threatened to break her legs, according to police.
Ptlm. Joseph McGinn went to Caprio’s apartment to question him about the reported phone call. Caprio told McGinn that his grandmother made up the story and was “crazy.”
McGinn said that his review of the calls made on the girlfriend's phone showed an outgoing call to Caprio’s grandmother’s phone number at 10:47 p.m. Caprio’s girlfriend told McGinn she called the grandmother while she was at police headquarters waiting for Caprio to be released. McGinn checked Caprio’s release time and learned he was released at 10:40 p.m., according to the report.
Caprio was arrested again and charged with violating the no-contact order.
Following a second arraignment on the new charge, Caprio was ordered held at the Adult Correctional Institutions until a court hearing to be scheduled. Another no-contact order was also imposed.
