on 05-18-2010 01:59

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — A 27-year-old city man, accused of stealing items from a parked car, was arrested Sunday afternoon following a police chase in which he struck several parked cars and rammed a Pawtucket Police cruiser several times, police said.

According to Pawtucket Police Maj. Arthur Martins, Officer Mario Comella observed a male lurking near a Lexus that was parked in the lot of Ocean State Job Lot at 470 Pawtucket Ave. at around 4:30 p.m. He then heard a window break and saw the male reaching into the car, Martins said.
Comella approached the suspect, identified as Joshua J. Roberts, of 63 Webster St., Pawtucket, and he fled on foot. Comella chased Roberts through the area, and at one point, he dropped a cell phone and an MP3 player that he allegedly took from the Lexus.
Martin said that Roberts, with Comella still in pursuit, eventually made it back to his own car, which was parked near the Lexus.
Comella, assisted by several other police officers, pursued Roberts in his vehicle. Roberts struck several parked cars before police eventually surrounded him on Pleasant Street. However, Roberts refused to get out of his car and instead, put the vehicle in drive and rammed the back of one of the police cruisers several times. The impact caused the cruiser to nearly strike a building, Martins said.
Roberts had to be physically removed from the car and continued to struggle with police before he was subdued with pepper spray, Martins said.
Roberts was charged with three counts of felony assault, reckless driving, resisting arrest, larceny, driving with a suspended license, and violation of a no-contact order, Martins said.