Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Taking the news pulse of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, by Providence Journal and projo.com staff, from 7 to 7, every business day
· Headlines · 25 words · Tag cloud · RSS · MultiBlog

Get the 7 to 7 on your mobile at www.projo.com. Twitter: projo | RSS | Email alerts

« More tributes in D.C. for Senator Pell | Main | Providence murder suspect captured in Alabama »

ACI inmate, suspect in Johnston robbery, held on bail

3:00 PM Fri, Jan 16, 2009 |
Richard C. Dujardin    Email

The Attleboro, Mass. man who was caught by an off-duty Providence police officer after he allegedly used a machete to rob a bank in East Greenwich on Dec. 26, was arraigned today on an additional charge of robbing a Mobil station in Johnston two days before.

Matthew Joyce, 37, who has been at the Adult Correctional Institutions since his arrest across the street from the BankRI branch on South Country Trail in East Greenwich, appeared today before District Court Judge Jeanne E. LaFazia, who ordered him held on $20,000 bail while awaiting a hearing in Superior Court 27. He is currently being held at the ACI as a parole violator.

Major Ralph Burbar III of the Johnston police said detectives recently were able to match items two cartons of cigarettes and dark blue vinyl jacket that were seized from the back seat of a van. The van was driven by Joyce's alleged female accomplice in the East Greenwich robbery. The items were reportedly matched to that which had been stolen or worn by the suspect in the gas-station holdup.

The holdup in Johnston occurred around 1 a.m. Dec. 24 when a man wearing a hooded sweatshirt and jacket and a scarf covering most of his face walked into convenience area of a Mobil Station at 1901 Plainfield St., and made off with $350 after brandishing a knife to the clerk.
Burbar says Joyce allegedly used a stolen Oldsmobile for his getaway which detectives located three days later outside the Bainbridge apartments on Simmonsville Avenue. He said detectives 10 days ago discovered that the holdup in their town had many similarities to a holdup in Richmond on Dec. 23 and the East Greenwich robbery on Dec. 26, and that cartons of cigarettes stolen in the Mobil station and a light vinyl jacket similar to the one used by the robber were among the items found in a van driven by Melanie Mendall, 31, of Lincoln, who police alleged had conspired to provide Joyce's getaway in the East Greenwich holdup. She was arrested on conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of cocaine.

social bookmarking

 Tags  Rhode Island robberies


Leave a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.




Type the characters you see in the picture above.