A crime spree that spanned Aquidneck Island Monday morning began when a Warren man drove to Newport Police headquarters seeking help for what he described as an emergency, according to police.
Jaron Monroe, 37, of Warren, pulled into the front parking lot of the Newport Police Department at approximately 7:45 a.m. and reported he was experiencing an emergency, though he said it was not medical in nature, according to Lt. Joseph Carroll, the department’s public information officer.
Officers responded to speak with Monroe, who remained inside his running vehicle with the windows only partially lowered and appeared to be suffering from a mental health crisis, police said. When asked to shut off the vehicle and step out, Monroe locked the doors and drove away from the police department.
Police immediately issued a Be On the Lookout alert for Monroe and his vehicle to check on his wellbeing.
At approximately 7:55 a.m., Monroe committed an armed carjacking at Shaw’s Supermarket at 71 East Main Road in Middletown, approaching two victims seated in a white Jeep SUV, displaying a handgun and stealing the vehicle, police said. The victims were not physically harmed.
Monroe then crashed the stolen vehicle into the rotary median at J.T. Connell Highway and Admiral Kalbfus Road in Newport, exited while waving a handgun and threatening bystanders, then fled on foot, according to police.
Moments later, Monroe committed a second armed carjacking in the Admiralty Housing Complex parking lot at 195 Admiral Kalbfus Road, approaching a mother and her 9-year-old daughter inside a gray Toyota SUV, pointing a firearm at them and ordering them out of the vehicle, police said. The mother and daughter complied and were not physically injured. Monroe fled in the stolen Toyota.
At approximately 8:49 a.m., Monroe was involved in a single-vehicle crash in Somerset, Massachusetts, where he was taken into custody by responding officers. A handgun was recovered at the time of his arrest.
The Newport Police Department, Middletown Police Department and Massachusetts State Police are jointly investigating the incident, which spans multiple jurisdictions and involved two armed carjackings and three vehicle crashes. Charges are currently being filed, and Monroe remains in custody in Massachusetts.
Middletown police have charged Monroe with assault with intent to commit specified felonies, robbery of a motor vehicle occupant, felony assault and duty to stop in accidents resulting in vehicle damage.
This story has been updated to correct that Monroe is from Warren, not Warwick. This update comes after the Newport Police Department issued a correction.