More Than 18 Vans Stolen in Providence Since August - Police Believe They May Have Broken Up Ring

More Than 18 Vans Stolen in Providence Since August - Police Believe They May Have Broken Up Ring

At least 18 work vans were reported stolen in the city since August, according to Providence police.

Now, they believe they may have found the suspects. 

“There have been a number of stolen vans, with a lot of tools taken,” Providence Police Detectives Major David Lapatin told GoLocal. “Most of the time the catalytic converter was also taken and the van later recovered.”

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Lapatin said it was the work of detective Mitchell Guerra who put the pieces together that it was likely a van theft ring.

Last week, Guerra put the alert out to police — and the next day, three suspects were apprehended in a stolen van. 

Now, police believe they could be tied to the numerous other thefts this summer. 

 

Tracking Down Suspects

Last Thursday morning, police in District 5 were paying particular attention to the recent thefts involving work vans.

Shortly after 8:30 AM, an officer at the intersection of Atwells Avenue and Valley Street said he saw a white Ford van stopped at the traffic light.

As the officer drove by, he said the driver of the van — a male in his 30s — appeared wide-eyed, and tried to look away from the police cruiser. 

The officer said that just days earlier, he had responded to a report of a suspect in a white van matching that same description. 

After making a U-turn in an attempt to get behind the vehicle, the officer said the van ran a red light and took off at a high rate of speed on Valley Street. 

Police say they pursued the van, which began to drive recklessly, including running red lights and driving on the wrong side of the road, before the pursuit was called off when the van entered a school zone off Broadway. 

A short while later, police said the van was spotted on Ridge Street on Federal Hill, at which point the van stopped — and all occupants tried to flee. 

Police were able to apprehend all three subjects — two men and a woman. 

The driver, Esaul Carrasquillo, age 21 is facing multiple charges; an officer was injured arresting Carrasquillo and required medical treatment. 

The owner of the van was contacted, who confirmed it had been stolen

“We are looking into these three people for the previous thefts,” Lapatin confirmed.