Owner of Skyline, Mike Mota, Claims Police Report Is False About Dead Man
GoLocalProv News Team
Owner of Skyline, Mike Mota, Claims Police Report Is False About Dead Man
In the police report, two officers cited Mota as telling them that he was allowing the decedent to sleep in the restaurant.
According to the Providence Police report, one officer states, “The body was found by the owner of the restaurant, identified as Michael Mota, who stated he was familiar with the deceased who was working in the restaurant. It should be noted that the restaurant had been closed since July 27. The deceased, identified as REDACTED was currently homeless and had permission by Mr. Mota to sleep in the restaurant. It should also be noted that, according to Mr. Mota, REDACTED had severe medical condition.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTA second officer wrote in the police report, “Upon arrival, I met the owner of the restaurant who identified himself as Michael Mota. Mota stated that the decedent is a former employee he identified as REDACTED, who he has allowed to stay overnight at Skyline because he is homeless. Mota stated that REDACTED has keys to the restaurant, which is currently only open for special events while they are in court fighting an eviction order. Mota stated that REDACTED has been battling some serious health issues and has been going through chemotherapy and dialysis treatment for several months. Mota stated that they have not had an event since Friday July 26, 2024.”
Skyline Refutes Police Report
According to a social media post by Waterplace and signed by the Mota and Ricci families — the Ricci family is Mota;s wife’s family — the police and thus the media have it all wrong.
Mota’s father-in-law, Joseph Ricci, is listed as the company’s manager on its corporation filing. The corporation was revoked due to failure to file its annual report with the office of the Secretary of State.
The following is the "official statement from Skyline at Waterplace, The Mota Family and The Ricci Family:”
"AT NO POINT did anyone at Skyline say he was homeless or that he was living at Skyline. The reporting that has come out is WRONG and is being addressed. He lived with his family and was suffering from a nasty disease. This was told verbatim to the police and clearly there was a mistake in the initial reporting. We will work to get it corrected. He did indeed take his last breath in the venue that he maintained for many years as he was there checking in as he did thousands of times in the past…” said the Skyline social media post.
GoLocal reached out to Michael Mota on Thursday morning to ask for clarification between what police cited in their report and this new claim posted to social media by the Skyline, but he did not respond.
This is just the latest twist in the often chaotic history of the Skyline.
In 2017, GoLocal wrote a series of reports about how the Skyline received its lease from City Hall and while it failed to make rent payments, the owners were able to make political donations to both mayors Jorge Elorza and Brett Smiley.
READ THOSE STORIES BELOW