Connect with us

Rhode Island

‘Conjuring House’ owner arrested, charged with DUI – The Boston Globe

Published

on

‘Conjuring House’ owner arrested, charged with DUI – The Boston Globe


“I am not a criminal. I have never been arrested,” she wrote in a text message.

According to Police Chief Stephen Lynch, officers received calls on Monday night reporting an erratic driver.

Police found the Lexus SUV after 9 p.m. stopped on Hill Road, and as officers approached the car, allegedly driven by Nuñez, the vehicle took off, according to a police report.

Nuñez allegedly drove 51 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone, failed to stop for a stop sign, swerved into the opposite lane, and nearly drove off the road at different times during the pursuit, authorities said.

Eventually, Nuñez came to a stop on Wallum Lake Road, and officers approached the car with their guns drawn, the report states.

Body camera video footage shows Nuñez mumbling, “What’s wrong,” as officers approach her. Officers wrote they “detected the overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her breath.”According to the police report and footage from police body-worn cameras released Thursday, she repeatedly told the officers that she owns The Conjuring House, and argued with them about why she did not pull over immediately.

Advertisement
Jacqueline Nuñez, who owns “The Conjuring House,” was arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence in Burrillville, R.I. this week. Nuñez is seen here in body camera video footage released by police. Burrillville Police

Officers attempted to perform field sobriety tests, but the video shows Nuñez not following directions and laughing at officers. At one point she told police, “You’re boring me,” and accused them of trying to “save face” by administering the tests, the report states.

Police said she later refused a Breathalyzer test, but told officers she drank three cocktails that night. She was later shackled to a bed at the police station after she refused to stop “aggressively banging on the cell door and yelling,” police wrote.

In a series of text messages sent to the Globe, Nuñez claimed she passed a sobriety test and that police did not ask her to take a Breathalyzer.

She claimed police and others are “trying to drive me out of business.”

“I am terrified of this PD. I did drive past a stop sign and then pulled over on the shoulder when they approached,” she wrote. “I remember being panicked and terrified and sped up and then pulled over. I knew I was going to be harassed and possibly taken somewhere to be killed.”

Advertisement

Lynch said Burrillville officers are sometimes called to The Conjuring House, where Nuñez also lives, over traffic caused by curious onlookers. On Saturday night, Lynch said, Nuñez called police to report seeing former employees near the woods. Police responded but did not find anyone there, Lynch said.

During the summer, officers also went to The Conjuring House twice with a health care provider to check on Nuñez, who was brought to a hospital on one of those occasions, he said.

Last month, Nuñez told The Providence Journal the hospital stay was orchestrated by former employees in an attempt to take control of the house.

In a series of texts with the Globe, Nuñez referred to several medical facilities but declined to provide details. “Being thrown into facilities because I am complaining about crimes against me and my legitimate business does not mean that I have psychiatric issues,” Nuñez wrote.

The DUI charges follow other Conjuring House-related controversies in recent months. The 18th-century farmhouse was the inspiration for the 2013 movie “The Conjuring,” about hauntings that plagued the Perron family there in the 1970s. Visitors come from around the world to tour the property, and some even spend the night.

Advertisement

Former employees have said Nuñez owes them money, including one who said he was fired after Nuńez accused him of stealing money from the business – an accusation she said was based on a tip by the ghost of a former owner.

Guests have also complained about being asked to leave based on information she seemed to indicate was from spirits. Scott Kitlarz told the Globe he and his wife paid $1,089 to stay overnight at the house on Oct. 21. The Iowa couple left within a few hours after Nuñez asked if they were content creators and accused them of not having “good intentions,” adding, “I can feel your energy,” according to an audio recording Kitlarz provided to the Globe. He told the Globe she seemed to indicate that spirits had informed her about the Kitlarzs.

He said they brought cameras and microphones to try to capture anything otherworldly, but they are not content creators. The Conjuring House’s website states that guests may bring “ghost hunting equipment” but content creators must inform staff before they arrive. Kitlarz asked for a refund, which Nunez agreed to, but he said that as of Wednesday he had not received any part of the $1,089 he and his wife had paid.

When asked about Kitlarz’s experience, Nuñez texted that she “was alerted quickly to their intentions so I acted quickly.”

“No one with intent to hurt me or my business will get a refund,” she said.“I will not reveal my sources that look to protect me and TCH.”

Advertisement

Jason Hawes, the Rhode Island-based star of SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters” television show, has also accused Nuñez of harassing him and has said he is concerned about the safety of guests who stay there.

Amidst the controversies, “The Conjuring House” has remained open to visitors, though last week, Lynch opted not to immediately approve the entertainment license for the property, citing “inappropriate” attachments with its application. Nuñez can still resubmit her application though, before her current license expires in November, Lynch said.

When asked about the license, Nuñez said she will “pursue every option to run my legitimate business.”

“Burrillville will need a compelling reason to decline it,” she said in a text message.


Advertisement

Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Rhode Island

Four found dead at house in West Greenwich, RI – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

Published

on

Four found dead at house in West Greenwich, RI – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


WEST GREENWICH, R.I. (WHDH) – An investigation is underway after four people were found dead inside a home in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, Friday. 

Officials say a co-worker of someone who lived at the house called police after the person didn’t show up to work for two days. 

Police say all appeared to have gunshot wounds.

(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Advertisement
Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox



Source link

Continue Reading

Rhode Island

Among US cities, Providence had fewest homes linger on the real estate market in November, Redfin says – The Boston Globe

Published

on

Among US cities, Providence had fewest homes linger on the real estate market in November, Redfin says – The Boston Globe


Nationally, over half, or 54.5 percent of home listings in November, lingered on the market for at least 60 days, up from 49.9 percent from the same time last year, Redfin reported. The total was the highest for any November since 2019.

Milwaukee, Wis., followed Providence at 38.8 percent, with Montgomery County, Penn., in third at 41.4 percent, according to the report released Monday.

Miami saw the highest percentage of “stale” listings, with 63.8 percent remaining on the market after 60 days, followed by Austin, Texas, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The only New England city besides Providence included in the top 50 most populated metropolitan areas is Boston, which saw a rate of 44.2 percent.

“A lot of listings on the market are either stale or uninhabitable,” Meme Loggins, a Redfin real estate agent in Oregon, said in the report. “There’s a lot of inventory, but it doesn’t feel like enough.”

So what’s different about Providence?

There are a number of factors in play, including demand for rental properties, according to Alysandra Nemeth, a local Redfin real estate agent.

Advertisement

Nemeth told the Globe on Friday several multifamily homes she sold in the last few months moved quickly.

“If you have a multifamily [listing] that comes up and you’ve got an investor or someone that’s looking to owner-occupy a property and rent some out … it’s the perfect scenario because there’s no shortage of people that are looking to rent within the area,” Nemeth said.

Nemeth thinks the lack of inventory in the Rhode Island market is also keeping listings fresh.

Data released by the Rhode Island Association of Realtors in December showed there was a less than two months worth of supply of single-family homes across the state — well below the six-month supply level considered indicative of a healthy real estate market.

Driven, in part, by the competition for properties, the median statewide home price soared more than 11 percent year over year to $480,000, according to the association.

Advertisement

“It just continues to be a battle where, you know, if a good home comes on the market and it’s priced right, it’s probably going to go quicker, and entertain more offers than some other areas,” Nemeth said.

Providence’s location is also desirable for buyers, Nemeth said. There’s easy access to Boston and New York City, all with a considerably lower price point than those metro areas, Nemeth said.

And Providence has plenty of appeal of its own, too.

“There’s just a lot of, like, great culinary experiences in Providence — like the food here is amazing,” Nemeth said. “So that also goes hand in hand with it. There’s a lot going on. This city is probably like the next city to watch out for.”


Advertisement

Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.





Source link

Continue Reading

Rhode Island

The 6 biggest business news stories to watch in Rhode Island in 2025 – The Boston Globe

Published

on

The 6 biggest business news stories to watch in Rhode Island in 2025 – The Boston Globe


Here are the biggest business news stories to watch in Rhode Island in 2026.

1. Will Hasbro leave Rhode Island for Boston?

Hasbro Inc. has been teasing Rhode Island’s leaders in mulling a move to Boston, and officials are tossing out all sorts of ideas — tax credits, an annual “Rhode Island Hasbro Day,” special access to airport lounges, subsidies for on-site child care — to see what might keep the century-old toy company anchored in its home state.

State leaders pitched Hasbro earlier this winter on six potential locations in three cities where Hasbro could relocate. But in that same meeting, leaders from Rhode Island Commerce and Governor Dan McKee’s office also pitched a series of incentives for the maker of Monopoly, My Little Pony, and Nerf, according to a report and videos released to the Globe on Monday in response to a public records request.

Hasbro spokespeople maintain that they have “no updates” on any potential relocation, but CEO Chris Cocks told employees in late 2024 that they would hear from the company’s leadership team sometime in the first quarter of 2025 about whether they’d be heading for greener pastures beyond Rhode Island.

Antonio Afonso, McKee’s chief of staff and the state’s “point person” on Hasbro, declined to be interviewed.

The Vanderbilt hotel in Newport, R.I. was once a mansion built in the early 1900s.Auberge Resorts Collection

2. The company buying up Newport restaurants

In Newport, there’s one man who seems to be everywhere: Nicholas S. Schorsch.

Advertisement

A wealthy entrepreneur and investor, Schorsch has been on roll with his Heritage Restaurant Group since relocating to Newport from New York City 12 years ago, and has amassed a growing portfolio.

In 2024 alone, the group acquired restaurants Caleb & Broad, Flo’s Clam Shack, The Reef, The Red Parrot, The Brick Alley Pub, and many more. In late December, the group also announced it would acquire the historic Vanderbilt hotel, a Georgian Revival mansion. It’s not yet clear what the Heritage group paid for the hotel, but the transaction is expected to close in early 2025.

The group also operates Newport Craft Brewing, La Forge Casino Restaurant, La Costa Lobster Rolls and Tacos, Cluck Truck, Cluck House, A Mano Pizza & Gelato, Wiener Wagon, and Wally’s Wieners. It also owns Newport Lobster Company, one of the largest seafood wholesalers in the area, and runs concessions at Easton’s Beach.

Many of the restaurants Schorsch has acquired were family-run operations where the owners were nearing retirement age. His purchase, some say, was a lifeline so they could step away from their businesses. But critics are concerned about the powerhouse the group is becoming, saying that much control over businesses on Aquidneck Island could raise prices and stifle competition.

3. The expansion of Brown University Health

Rhode Island’s largest health care system, Brown University Health, previously known as Lifespan Corp., acquired St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton from bankrupt Steward Health Care for $175 million in 2024. This year, the hospital owner plans to expand in Foxborough, Mass., by bolstering two outpatient clinics it purchased from Steward that could generate $43 million annually by fiscal year 2027. The clinics could be an opportunity, officials told investors in December, to expand cancer care and ambulatory surgery into Massachusetts. They also plan to broaden their specialty physician groups.

Advertisement
Demolition on the Washington Bridge in Providence, R.I.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

4. Continued fallout from the Washington Bridge closure

The Washington Bridge westbound on Interstate 195 abruptly closed more than a year ago, leaving drivers scrambling, and a long list of questions about went went wrong. The bridge — meant to last at least two more decades — needs to be demolished and rebuilt. Demolition is expected to take another year, and there is no timeline currently for when a new span will be completed. Chicago-based Walsh Construction Company will compete with a joint venture of American Bridge Company from Pennsylvania and New York-based MLJ Contracting Corp. to build the new bridge.

The state has sued 13 companies who were previously hired by the state to inspect the bridge, or do construction or design work. Several defendants have already pushed back on the suit, calling it a political “blame game.” A judge is expected to consider their motions to dismiss the lawsuit this month.

5. More shakeups at the state Housing Department

On New Year’s Eve, Tara Booker, the executive director of homelessness response for the R.I. Department of Housing, submitted her resignation. In a phone conversation with the Globe, Booker declined to comment as to why she would leave, and said she would remain at her post “through at least Jan. 31, and potentially longer.”

“I have a transition plan,” said Booker. “I don’t really want to comment on anything right now. I’m still working and want a productive transition.”

Booker also declined to comment on any winter shelter plans, which is a program she has overseen at the department since she was hired in March 2024. She is one of several of the department’s high-ranking leaders who have given their notice in the last year. Over the summer, former secretary Stefan I. Pryor resigned. Under his leadership, the department faced internal struggles and incomplete projects, and was circumventing procurement rules that may have cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars, the Globe reported. In November, after less than a year on the job, deputy housing secretary Deborah Flannery resigned.

Advertisement

Leaders in the General Assembly, including Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, said they have been “disappointed” in the department’s former leadership. In late November, agency consultant Deborah Goddard was appointed by Governor Dan McKee as the department’s fourth housing secretary since it was created in 2022. Her appointment will need the Senate’s approval.

Like her predecessors, Goddard will face a housing crisis that has been worsening for more than 30 years, developers who may want to build affordable housing but are facing red tape, and inflation.

Work at the “Superman” building in Downtown Providence has been limited.Lane Turner/Globe Staff

6. A funding request from the ‘Superman’ building developer

It’s been two years since the state unveiled plans to redevelop the long-vacant “Superman” building in downtown Providence ― the tallest building in the state ― into apartments with room for commercial space. It was seen as a major win for the McKee administration, but not much has been done since. When asked if the idea of redeveloping 111 Westminster St. from office space into 285 residential units was dead, Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said, “They’re hanging on by their fingernails.”

“They want money,” Ruggerio told the Globe. “The problem is, they never told us how much.”

In August, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley told the Globe that the owner of the Industrial National Bank Building is asking for more than $10 million in additional support to convert the 26-story skyscraper into apartments, but wouldn’t say exactly how much.

Advertisement

Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending