Missing Plate, Foot Chase Alerts Officer to Stolen Car

Warwick, RI – Officer Matthew Higgins was getting a closer look at a silver Nissan Rogue missing its front license plate in the Comfort Inn parking lot when the three men inside led him on a chase, ending in an arrest for driving a stolen car.

Two of the men inside the Rogue ran toward the front of the hotel, according to the officer’s report, and Higgins ran after them. The officer followed them into the lobby, where he saw one go up the north stairs, and another exited the back door back into the parking lot.

Higgins followed after the man running back into the lot, drawing his weapon, keeping it at “low-ready” because he wasn’t sure about the reason the men were running. Outside, he saw the man about 30 feet away, and ordered him to stop. The man complied, and Higgins handcuffed him.

Higgins then saw the man who’d remained in the car running around the back of the hotel in his direction. Higgins ordered him to stop, and the man also complied, after which Higgins handcuffed him as well.

One of the men was later identified as Joshua Tangui, 21, of 61 Oak Hill Drive, Johnston, the driver of the car. The men said they’d met the third to smoke pot together.

Higgins looked up the car’s registration, learning that it was registered to a different vehicle. A VIN check revealed it had been reported stolen in Connecticut. The vehicle was towed to Warwick Police Headquarters at 99 Veterans Memorial Drive, where it was placed in the evidence bay to wait for Connecticut officers to retrieve it.

Tangui complained of difficulty breathing and vomited in the rear of Higgins’ cruiser. He was transported to Kent County Memorial Hospital for treatment. He was also arrested for driving a vehicle without the consent of the owner.