Taunton Police arrest East Providence robbery/stabbing suspect

Assailant is believed to be one of two thieves who injured 68-year-old man in Town Wine & Spirits incident

By Mike Rego
Posted 12/7/17

TAUNTON — Police have arrested one of the two suspects in the recent string of armed robberies in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. The alleged assailant in the stabbing of a …

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Taunton Police arrest East Providence robbery/stabbing suspect

Assailant is believed to be one of two thieves who injured 68-year-old man in Town Wine & Spirits incident

Posted

TAUNTON — Police have arrested one of the two suspects in the recent string of armed robberies in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. The alleged assailant in the stabbing of a customer during a theft in city at Town Wine & Spirits was apprehended Thursday evening, Dec. 7, in Taunton.

(Updated, Dec. 8, 11:30 a.m.) Miguel Gonzales, 19 and of Stoughton, Mass, was charged for his involvement in the crimes in Taunton and Raynham. 

According to East Providence Police Detective Lieutenant Raymond, a warrant was also being prepared in Rhode Island Friday morning, Dec. 8, when local law enforcement will charge Gonzales with first degree robbery, conspiracy and assault with a deadly weapon among other accusations. Authorities also said Pawtucket Police were preparing charges for a theft there the same evening as the Town Wine & Spirits incident.

Each of the robberies followed similar scenarios, according to video surveillance cameras at the businesses or eyewitness accounts. The two men donned ski masks and wielded weapons as they barged towards the cashiers’ desk, though only the incident in East Providence descended into violence.

The man is believed to be the suspect who committed the stabbing Saturday evening, Dec. 2, at Town. A 68-year-old male customer attempting to intervene in the incident was struck in the abdomen during the altercation, which ended with both suspects fleeing the scene.

Earlier that same Saturday evening, the duo performed a similar robbery at Colonial Liquors on Summit Street in Pawtucket. In the wee hours of Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, Dec. 5 and 6, the pair again hit a CVS Pharmacy and a Seasons gas/convenience store in both Taunton and Raynham.

Late Thursday evening, the suspect was arrested by Taunton Police after officers spotted him operating the vehicle identified as the one being used to commit the armed robberies.

Earlier Thursday, Lt. Blinn issued a statement saying the East Providence, Pawtucket, Taunton and Raynham Police Departments were investigating as a group.

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.