Cranston Police arrest two suspects caught in the act of breaking and entering after brief foot and vehicle pursuit

Cranston – Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of the Cranston Police Department, announces the arrest of two suspects caught in the act of trying to break into a home on Tweed Street after an alert witness saw one of the men prying open a window in an attempt to gain access. The Cranston Police received a call at approximately 12:22 pm indicating a male subject was prying open a window with what appeared to be a screwdriver and provided an excellent description of him. Detectives were in the area and responded along with uniformed officers. The suspect later identified as Romer Pena-Perez, age 33, of Providence, saw the police officers and took off on foot while officers gave chase through the neighborhood. The suspect continued running on foot to a waiting get-a-way vehicle being driven by a second suspect later identified as Orlando Pena-Baez, age 27, of Providence, which Perez jumped into and the Baez sped off. The get-a-way vehicle was a 2007 Black Suzuki SUV with Rhode Island registration.

Patrol officers in the area pursued the Suzuki SUV being operated with Baez a short distance into the Town of Johnston onto Plainfield Street where they were able to get the vehicle stopped. The operator, Baez, resisted arrest in attempt to flee and both were ultimately taken into custody. The investigation led to both men being arrested for multiple charges.

“The Cranston Police commend the witness for acting so quickly and providing such an accurate description along with the events unfolding while officers responded. This is a classic example of how successful the police can be when an alert community report suspicious activity promptly. We continue to encourage the public to call if something doesn’t look right. This case would not have been so successful if it weren’t for this alert witness,” said Major Todd Patalano.

Romer Pena-Perez and Orlando Pena-Baez