(HE)
WE'VE LEARNED THE
VICTIM OF A HIT AND RUN
MONDAY NIGHT -- IS IN A
MEDICALLY-INDUCED
COMA TONIGHT -- LISTED
IN CRITICAL CONDITION.
(MM)
AND TODAY THE DRIVER
ACCUSED OF INTENTIALLY
RUNNING DOWN THAT
VICTIM -- FACED A JUDGE.
JAMES ROHELIA WAS
ARRAIGNED ON FELONY
CHARGES.
NOW--
WE'RE LEARNING MORE
ABOUT HIS EXTENSIVE
CRIMINAL HISTORY.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH
HAS MORE ON THAT--
AND WHAT
EYEWITNESSES SAY
HAPPENED IN A WENDY'S
PARKING LOT--
LIVE FROM PAWTUCKET
NOW.
(KW)
WE'RE LIVE OUTSIDE
PAWTUCKET POLICE
DEPARTMENT - LESS THAN
HALF A MILE FROM WHERE
THE VICTIM WAS HIT BY A
CAR MONDAY NIGHT.
THIS MORNING - WE WERE
IN COURT FOR THE
ARRAIGNMENT - WHERE
JAMES ROHELIA WAS
HELD ON 75,000 DOLLARS
WITH SURETY BAIL.
49-YEAR-OLD JAMES ROHELIA
ARRAIGNED ON 3 FELONY
CHARGES AND 3 MISDEMEAOR
CHARGES IN PROVIDENCE
DISTRICT COURT WEDNESDAY
MORNING -
"Count 1 assault with intent to
committ murder. Count 2 leaving
the
scene of an accident causing
personal injury."
THIS - AS OFFICIALS SAY A 31-
YEAR-OLD MAN FROM CENTRAL
FALLS IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION
- IN AN INDUCED COMA - AT
RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL.
"Pawtucket Police say they spoke
with witnesses who said around
11
o'clock Monday night, there was
an
incident inside this Walgreens.
That
then came outside and ended up
over here at this Wendy's."
WITNESSES DESCRIBED A MAN
GETTING INTO A SILVER TRUCK
AND DELIBERATELY CHARGING
AT THE VICTIM - HITTING HIM.
WHEN POLICE GOT THERE - THE
VICTIM WAS UNRESPONSIVE.
BUT THE SUSPECT HAD TAKEN
OFF - THE TRUCK LATER FOUND
HERE AT WOODLAWN AUTO
SERVICE ON MINERAL SPRING
AVENUE.
TUESDAY - EYEWITNESS NEWS
SHOWED YOU THE
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO ALSO
SHOWN TO POLICE - OF A MAN
WALKING BY WITH WHAT LOOKS
LIKE LICENSE PLATES - JUST
BEFORE MIDNIGHT MONDAY
NIGHT.
POLICE SAID ROHELIA WAS
ARRESTED AT HIS HOME ON
GRACE STREET IN PAWTUCKET
- AFTER A BRIEF STANDOFF.
WE WERE THERE AS ROHELIA
WAS ESCORTED INTO THE
POLICE STATION IN HANDCUFFS
- HIS OUTFIT APPEARING TO BE
THE SAME FOR COURT
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
"Position as to bail. Your honor
based on his history, 75,000
with
surety."
WE LOOKED INTO THAT
CRIMINAL HISTORY:
ACCORDING TO COURT
DOCUMENTS - ROHELIA WAS
CHARGED WITH ASSAULT AND
BATTERY IN 1990 - ROBBERY IN
1993 - SHOPLIFTING IN 2001 -
DRIVING WITH A SUSPENDED
LICENSE AS RECENT AS IN 2017.
(KW)
ROHELIA IS DUE BACK IN
COURT IN SEPTEMBER.
NEW AT 6 TONIGHT - HEAR
FROM SOMEONE WHO
LIVES NEAR THE INCIDENT.
LIVE IN PAWTUCKET, I'M
KAIT WALSH, EYEWITNESS
NEWS.
(HE)
NOW AT SIX --- WE HAVE
NEW INFORMATION ON
THE MAN, ACCUSED OF
HITTING ANOTHER MAN
WITH HIS PICKUP TRUCK
ON PURPOSE!
(MM)
WE'VE BEEN TRACKING
THIS STORY---- SINCE IT
HAPPENED IN PAWTUCKET
LATE MONDAY NIGHT ---
THIS MORNING, THE
SUSPECT WENT BEFORE A
JUDGE.
(HE)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER KAIT WALSH
JOINS US LIVE FROM THE
MOBILE NEWSROOM WITH
THE NEW DETAILS.
NO PLEA WAS ENTERED
ON ROHELIA'S BEHALF
BECAUSE THREE OF HIS
CHARGES ARE FELONIES.
WE SPOKE WITH PEOPLE
LIVING IN THE AREA - ONE
MAN SAID HE'S PRAYING
FOR THE VICTIM'S
RECOVERY.
AS 49-YEAR-OLD JAMES
ROHELIA WAS ARRAIGNED IN
PROVIDENCE DISTRICT COURT
ON 6 CHARGES - INCLUDING
ASSAULT WITH INTENT TO
COMMIT MURDER - POLICE SAY
A 31-YEAR-OLD MAN FROM
CENTRAL FALLS WAS IN
CRITICAL CONDITION - IN AN
INDUCED COMA - AT RHODE
ISLAND HOSPITAL.
THEIR ALLEGED CONNECTION -
AN INCIDENT MONDAY NIGHT
THAT REPORTEDLY STARTED IN
THIS WALGREENS ON BROAD
STREET IN PAWTUCKET - AND
ENDED WITH THE VICTIM FOUND
UNCONSCIOUS IN THE WENDY'S
PARKING LOT.
WITNESSES TOLD PAWTUCKET
POLICE THE SUSPECT
DELIBERATELY DROVE A SILVER
TRUCK INTO THE VICTIM - AND
TOOK OFF.
POLICE SAY THAT TRUCK WAS
LATER FOUND AT WOODLAWN
AUTO SERVICE ON MINERAL
SPRING AVENUE - EYEWITNESS
NEWS SHOWED YOU THE
SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM
THAT NIGHT - WHERE A MAN IS
SEEN WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE
LICENSE PLATES.
TUESDAY - DETECTIVES WERE
SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE -
AS JAMES ROHELIA WAS
ARRESTED AT HIS HOME ON
GRACE STREET - FOLLOWING A
BRIEF STANDOFF.
AFTER ROHELIA'S
ARRAIGNMENT WEDNESDAY -
WE WENT BACK TO THE SCENE
AND SPOKE WITH A
CONCERNED NEIGHBOR.
"To hear something like that,
especially running somebody over
with a car, I mean you've got to
be
careful on these streets and
people
just have to think, I mean it's
just not
worth it to be that angry to do
something like that."
ROHELIA HAS AN EXTENSIVE
CRIMINAL HISTORY - AND FOR
THAT - HE WAS HELD ON 75,000
SURETY BAIL.
HE'S DUE BACK IN COURT IN
SEPTEMBER.
SOME CRIMES LINKED TO
ROHELIA - ACCORDING TO
COURT DOCUMENTS -
DATE BACK TO 1990 AND
INCLUDE ASSAULT -
DOMESTIC ASSAUL -
ROBBERY - AND DRIVING
WITH ASUSPENDED
LICENSE.
LIVE IN PAWTUCKET, I'M
KAIT WALSH, EYEWITNESS