Victim, Attacker, Report Road Rage Assault

WARWICK, RI — Warwick officer Nathaniel Gray got a road rage report July 15 at 6:56 p.m. from a driver beaten up by a motorcycle rider, then a report from a motorcycle rider saying he’d beaten up the driver, shortly followed by the latter’s arrest.

Gray arrived at Masthead Apartments, 55 Masthead Drive, where he spoke with the driver, a 34-year-old Providence man who told him he’d been on his way to work that morning on Post Road when a motorcycle rider followed too close to his silver 2012 Kia Optima and tried to pass him on the left, crossing over the double yellow lines multiple times, according to the driver’s account in Gray’s report.

The driver continued to his work at Masthead Apartments, where he immediately exited his vehicle to tell his boss what had happened. The motorcycle rider, later identified as Giuseppe Delacruz, 39, of 191 Grand Ave., Cranston, RI, had followed him into the lot, however, and accused him of trying to kill him. The driver replied that Delacruz had been in the wrong for trying to pass on the left, according to Gray’s report.

The driver’s legal assessment failed to de-escalate the situation. Delacruz’s response was to attack the driver, punching him many times, according to the report.

During the assault, Delacruz threw the driver into his boss’s 2014 GMC Sierra, damaging it, and as he tried to get away, the rider threw him into some nearby bushes and started kicking him in the side and the head. Delacruz left as the driver’s boss called 911.

At about that time, North Kingstown Police contacted Gray to tell him that Delacruz had just reported the assault to them after arriving at his place of work Fuji Film at 40 Circuit Drive.

Gray met with North Kingstown Police, then they proceeded to Fuji Film to speak with Delacruz. Delacruz admitted to the assault, telling Gray he had been following the driver south on Post Road and that the car was driving very slow, so he attempted to pass it on the left, but the car sped up as he tried.

At this point, Gray also informed Delacruz that it is illegal to pass on the left and cross the double yellow lines. Delacruz responded that he knew that but had been frustrated and attempted to do it anyway. He also admitted to following the driver into the Masthead Apartments lot, confronting him and throwing him into the Sierra.

Gray arrested Delacruz and transported him to Warwick Police headquarters, 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where he was processed on a count of simple assault and a count of vandalism. He was scheduled to answer the charges on Feb. 15, 2022 in Third District Court, then released.