Police Log: Boy Punched on RIPTA Bus, Woman Tries to Burrow under Fence, Two DUIs

BOY PUNCHED ON BUS
Portsmouth Police charged Araya Selassi Brinkley, 51, of 224 Adelaide Ave., Providence, with simple assault and disorderly conduct July 9 at 7:27 a.m.

Police said Brinkley allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old boy on a Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus traveling on West Main Road.

The victim told police that he rides the bus from Tiverton to Newport every day to go sailing and was stepping over Brinkley’s legs while heading to an empty seat at the back of the bus. Brinkley apparently became upset over this and stood up, punching him on the right side of the face, according to a police report.

Brinkley was taken into custody near the scene and was transported to District Court for arraignment on charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct.

WOMAN TRIES TO BURROW UNDER FENCE
Portsmouth Police charged a 44-year-old Cranston woman with a slew of domestic charges including trespassing, assault, vandalism and disorderly conduct on July 6 at 5:48 p.m.

Police said they were dispatched to a King Phillip Street address for a report of a disturbance and found Kristen Lahteine Stepalavich, 44, of 77 Bluff Ave., Cranston, crawling under a row of hedges in front of the house before attempting to burrow under a stockade fence connected to the house.

Stepalavich allegedly drove to the house upset about an ex-husband’s new girlfriend and ripped off a downspout from the side of the house before police arrived.

Police said Stepalavich appeared intoxicated and fought with police as they tried to take her into custody.

DUIs
Police charged Alex McConnell Swist, 21, of 54 Bayberry Road, Portsmouth, with driving under the influence and refusing a chemical test July 6 at around 12:30 a.m. after he was reportedly seen by an officer on patrol as he struck a curb and kept on driving with a flat tire.

Police said they stopped Swist on Eyler Drive after they watched him swerve in and out of his lane and showed signs of intoxication once they spoke with him.

He later failed a field sobriety test.

Police charged Jennifer Patrice Halvorson, 32, of 100 Bird St., Quincy, Mass., with driving under the influence and refusing a chemical test July 5 after she was stopped for driving erratically on West Main Road.

Police said an officer on a fixed traffic post was approached by a fellow officer driving his personal vehicle who said there was an erratic Toyota heading north on West Main Road.

Police soon caught up with the car, which they said was driven by Halvorson as she sped 70 mph in a 50 mph zone while swerving in and out of her lane.

Police said Halvorson failed to stop for a while, continuing onto Route 24. Motorists up ahead saw the flashing lights, causing them to slow down. Halvorson then reportedly crashed into the rear bumper of a car in front of her before finally stopping.

Halvorson reportedly told police she didn’t see the lights or hear the sirens because she was trying to call her boyfriend on the phone.

She showed signed of intoxication and soon failed a field sobriety test, police said.

Halvorson allegedly told police that she drank 4 beers and a “few” gin and tonics while at a bar in Newport, according to a police report.

She was taken into custody without incident and refused a chemical test.

She was released with a second Division court summons.