Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

WEST WARWICK, R.I. -- A Warwick couple intervened in a robbery Thursday evening, and when it was all over a few minutes later three suspects were in custody.

Lisa Ratenni, 35, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Carley, 38, were returning from dining at the Providence Place Mall shortly after 9 p.m. when Ratenni, who was driving, heard Carley give a startled cry.

"He said, 'Holy crap!' -- nicely -- and 'Oh my god -- look,' " she recounted.

"I thought maybe a deer was running across the road," she said. "Then he said, 'They're being held up.' "

When Ratenni turned, she saw two robbers in ski masks and carrying guns enter the Convenience Plus store at 177 Legris Ave., part of Route 117.

Ratenni pulled over and dialed 911 on her cell phone.

"Then they came running out and ran down a side road," she said. "We decided to follow."

Ratenni executed a U-turn, but by this time the robbers had jumped into a waiting getaway car and were some distance ahead.

"I never really got very close, they were going so fast," Ratenni said. "I knew they were in a white car I was telling the people on 911 where they were going --- left on this road, right on that road."

She estimated that just four minutes passed before the police arrived.

"I was telling them where the car was. The [getaway] car was coming up Queen Street to Factory Street, and the police car was right at the top of Queen Street. The car stopped and a whole other bunch of officers pulled up. I told the 911 operator that that was them. Within a few seconds, they had their hands out the windows, and the police were directing them how to get out."

Arrested were Robert A. Snead, 18, of Sandy Lane, Warwick, and two 15-year-olds.
Snead was arraigned on Friday in Kent County District Court on charges of robbery and conspiracy. He was ordered held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions pending arraignment in Superior Court. The juveniles were held pending an appearance in Family Court.

Ratenni, who works for the state Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals, said she had never gotten involved in anything like that in her life.

"I don't like people getting away with stupid things like that," she said. "Then I was shocked to learn their ages."

Col. Paul Villa, chief of the West Warwick police, praised the couple for "their willingness to get involved and be good witnesses in assisting the police department capture the suspects in this alleged crime of violence."

(This entry was first posted at 12:18 p.m.)

 Tags  robbery Warwick RI West Warwick RI

Comments

westerlyfromww said:

Kudos to the callers - great job alerting WWPD about the robbers.

Link | April 24, 2009 12:33 PM
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