The man who police said is responsible for killing two women as three children looked on in Johnston Sunday morning has been arraigned on two counts of murder, kidnapping, burglary and other charges, Police Chief Richard Tamburini announced at a Monday press conference.
Police said Daniel Rodriguez, 28, of Providence, broke into an Oaktree Drive house around 5 a.m. and fired five shots, killing his girlfriend, Evelyn Burgos, 40; and her daughter, Vanessa Perez, 25.
Three other children were in the house, including Burgos' two-year-old son Isaiah Perez, who was taken from the scene by Rodriguez and eventually was found wandering the streets of the Chad Brown area in Providence Sunday afternoon after an Amber Alert and an expansive search by a multitude of law enforcement agencies.
All three children are in the custody of the state Department of Children, Youth and Families and will be reunited with their families soon.
Another man who was identified as a suspect in one of several Amber Alerts issued by police on Sunday, Malcolm Crowell, 22, was arrested in Fall River, MA, Monday afternoon. Crowell is no longer considered a person of interest and had no involvement in the crime, Tamburini said.
Crowell, the boyfriend of the younger of the slain women, cooperated with the investigation and helped police located the toddler in Providence, although Tamburini wouldn't elaborate beyond saying Crowell made a few phone calls while in police custody.
One of the children in the house at the time of the killings was Crowell's four-year-old son.
Crowell became a person of interest after materials at the scene pointed to him.
No motive has been determined.
Tamburini thanked law enforcement agencies throughout the state as well as both Rhode Island and Massachusetts State Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
He said the quick capture of Rodriguez and recovery of the missing toddler is "a true testament to what law enforcement agencies can accomplish working together in a coordinated effort."
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