BURRILLVILLE – A Johnston man who stole a car from a Cranston supermarket made dangerous attempts to elude police for nearly three hours Tuesday morning, driving across lawns and crashing into multiple cruisers before finally hitting a telephone pole, according to a joint release from the three law enforcement agencies involved in his capture.
Jacob Zhawred, 32, of 806 Greenville Ave., was arrested in the front yard of a home on Wallum Lake Road, and is now facing charges in Burrillville, Glocester and Cranston.
According to police, the incident began in Cranston around 6:55 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14, when a woman at the Stop & Shop supermarket on Garfield Avenue told officers she was assaulted by an unknown male assailant, who then took off in her vehicle.
Cranston police were able to track the vehicle’s location through the victim’s cell phone, which was still inside the car. Zhawred reportedly drove the car into Glocester, and officers there spotted him in the area of Route 44 at St. Eugene’s Church.
Glocester police attempted to stop the car, but ended up in pursuit as Zhawred traveled in to Burrillville. Officers from all three agencies reportedly joined the chase as he headed to the area of Route 100 at Davis Drive.
Police say Zhawred continued to High Street, Eagle Peak and Camp Dixie Roads, driving onto multiple residential front lawns to evade officers.
Stop sticks deployed by Burrillville police also didn’t stop the attempted getaway, as Zhawred continued driving on the rims of the car after the tires were blown. The stolen vehicle then struck several cruisers hitting, among the wreckage, a vehicle operated by Burrillville Sgt. Brian Pitts and another by Glocester Police Officer Ryan Charleston, in the Eagle Peak Road area.
On Wallum Lake Road, Zhawred reportedly struck two more cruisers and attempted to drive across a lawn before driving into a telephone pole in the front yard at 515 Wallum Lake Road, where the pursuit finally ended.
Zhawred showed “obvious” signs of impairment when he was taken into custody at 9:39 a.m. according to police.
“He was transported to Landmark Hospital for treatment of his extensive impairment issues,” noted the release.
In Burrillville, Zhawred will face six counts of assault with a deadly weapon, with victims being two Glocester police officers, two Cranston detectives and two Burrillville police officers; one count of possession of a stolen motor vehicle; two counts of leaving the scene of property damage; two counts of vandalism; DUI; eluding/reckless driving; resisting arrest and multiple motor vehicle violations.
In Glocester, he will be charged with eluding/reckless driving.
In Cranston the charges will include second degree robbery and shoplifting as Zhawred reportedly stole multiple items from the Lowes on Garfield Street in Cranston just before the carjacking.
Burrillville Police Col. Stephen Lynch confirmed with NRI NOW that none of the officers involved were injured.
NRI NOW may add more information to this breaking news story as it becomes available.
