Teens busted in N. Prov. crime spree

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - A robbery spree in one community has residents on alert. It's a Target 12 Crimetracker Investigation .

North Providence Police are working to recover all the stolen goods taken during a string of robberies. The thefts began New Years' Day at Pleasant View Commons on Smithfield Road.

Police say a group of teens robbed four different homes over the course of two months.

According to police, the teens broke in to one of the condos, stealing electronics and roughly $7,000 dollars in jewelry. Raymond Vingi lives next to the door, and says the robbery happened within an hour.

"I went to eat lunch at my sister's down the street and his grandfather's car was here I came here 40 minutes later and he was out in the driveway hysterical and he said someone just robbed everything out of my house."

The group of seven teens and one adult, are accused of breaking in to four homes in the city, stealing x-boxes, ipods, tv's, dvd players and jewelry.

Tuesday morning, police arrested the lone adult in the group, 18-year-old Michael Rocchio, at his apartment in this building on Charles Street in Providence.

He was charged with two counts breaking and entering and two counts conspiracy to break and enter.

A 17-year-old, three 16-year-olds, and two 15-year-olds were also arrested. People who live on Smithfield Road say the thieves may have targeted people they knew. It's a theory police say they can neither confirm nor deny.

The 18-year-old adult who was arrested was released on his own recognizance. The other teens are awaiting a hearing in family court.

Police are still investigating whether on not the teens were involved in other robberies.

Check out the Target 12 Investigators Crimetracker map below, showing where the robberies occurred.
 

View North Providence Crime Spree in a larger map