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Rhode Island
Wife in critical condition after Rhode Island man accused of violent hammer attack
A Rhode Island man is accused of a violent hammer attack on his wife over the weekend.
According to Chief Paul Gingerella, on Sunday just after 3:30 p.m., Westerly Police responded to Passapataug Avenue due to an emergency 911 call from a man stating he had attacked his wife with a hammer after an argument.
On arrival, 72-year-old Robert Kaczynski, who matched the description he gave of himself to 911 operators and police dispatchers, was located by Officers standing at the front steps of the residence with his hands in the air, covered in blood. Westerly Police made contact with Kaczynski and secured him in handcuffs.
Westerly Police then made contact with the victim inside the residence who stated Kaczynski, who is also her husband, hit her with a hammer.
Westerly Police and Westerly Ambulance Corps observed serious bodily injuries to the face and skull of Kaczynski’s wife, consistent with the use of a claw hammer.
The victim stated she was attacked twenty minutes prior to police arrival and during that twenty-minute time period, Kaczynski was continuously going back and hammering her head. He was read his Miranda warnings, and he refused to answer questions.
The victim was transported to RI Hospital and was in critical condition. She sustained serious bodily injuries.
Kaczynski was subsequently arrested and charged.
At Monday’s arraignment he was held without bail and did not enter a plea.
Kaczynski’s next court appearance is a bail review on January 8th.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha will release on Wednesday findings from a multiyear investigation into child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
According to the attorney general’s office, the report will detail the diocese’s handling of clergy abuse over decades.
While the smallest state in the U.S., Rhode Island is home to the country’s largest Catholic population per capita, with nearly 40% of the state identifying as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.
Neronha first launched the investigation in 2019, nearly a year after a Pennsylvania grand jury report found more than 1,000 children had been abused by an estimated 300 priests in that state since the 1940s. The 2018 report is considered one of the broadest inquiries into child sexual abuse in U.S. history.
Neronha’s investigation involved entering into an agreement with the Diocese of Providence to gain access to all complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy dating back to 1950. Neronha’s office said in 2019 that the goal of the report was to determine how the diocese responded to past reports of child sexual abuse, identify any prosecutable cases, and ensure that no credibly accused clergy were in active ministry.
Rhode Island State Police also helped with the investigation.
Rhode Islanders who plan to join in the global celebration of Irish culture can choose from big and small events, including a parade in Providence.
The March 17 holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, and many big events will be held the weekend of March 14-15. Originally a modest, religious feast day honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day today is a vibrant, boisterous holiday observed by millions of people regardless of their heritage.
The Providence parade is March 21.
We’ve rounded up 10 more events to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. But first, are you planning an event this spring? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!
Here’s your guide to St. Patrick’s Day fun in Rhode Island:
Local News
The two victims were identified as a husband and wife from Rhode Island, local officials said.
A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.
Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.
Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.
The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said.
Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.
Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.
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