Two Arrests Made On Prov. Border

A Providence man faces a count of DUI, and a Foster resident is awaiting trial on a felony cocaine possession charge after arrested them in separate incidents within two days of each other.

David Keane, 50, of 24 Paolino St., Providence, was reportedly driving on Greenville Avenue near the Providence city line with his car's headlights turned off at about 9:15 p.m. on Mar. 16 when Sgt. Dennis Peacock tried to get Keane to stop.

Peacock reported that he was standing the roadway and using his flashlight to direct Keane to pull over. Keane stopped his maroon Hyundai, looked at Peacock, then drive south on Traver Street, according to police reports.

After chasing Keane's car in his police cruiser, Peacock reported that he finally got Keane to stop on Homestead Avenue.

Keane reportedly told Peacock that he didn't see him in the roadway, but couldn't answer why he'd stopped his car. Peacock also reported that Keane spoke "with slurred speech" and appeared drunk.

When Capt. Frank Levesque arrived at the scene and told Keane that he planned to give him a field sobriety test, Keane refused, Peacock reported.

Officers charged Keane with suspicion of driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a Breathalyzer test. He was also issued a local summons for driving at night without using headlights; failure to respond to a police officer's order; and failure to stop at a stop sign.

On Mar. 18 at about 8:30 p.m., officers arrested Richard J. LaDuke Jr., 42 of 48 Charles Hoppin Rd., Foster, on a charge of cocaine possession after they reportedly saw him sitting in a car in the parking lot of 2 Greenville Ave. "manipulating steel/copper wool material," typical of crack cocaine use, according to Levesque.

Levesque reported that when he approached LaDuke's car, he put "his right hand between the driver's front seat and the center console in an obvious attempt to hide something."

Ptlm. Michael Protano then responded to the scene, and Levesque reported that he informed LaDuke of the officers' plan to search his car.

According to Levesque, LaDuke at first denied that he had any drugs, then "admitted to me that he hid a $10 bag of crack cocaine on the side of the driver's seat."

Protano reportedly found the bag containing a small white rock-like substance; tests done at police headquarters confirmed it to be .3 grams of crack cocaine, Levesque reported.

LaDuke was arraigned at the police station before Justice of the Peace Richard Finnegan and released on $1,000 personal recognizance until a scheduled May 21 Court date in Superior Court.