Providence man arrested following robbery, assault in Federal Hill

December 15, 2017 4:20 pm

By News Staff

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – A Providence man was arrested after assaulting and robbing a woman in the Federal Hill neighborhood Thursday afternoon.

Providence Police responded to the area of 99 Kenyon Street just after 4:00 p.m. Thursday for reports of a robbery. Police on scene spoke with a 30-year-old woman who stated that while walking on Broadway toward DePasquale Square she was confronted by a man who placed his arm around her and told her to “keep walking” while displaying what appeared to be a black firearm.

The victim says that when they reached the area of 99 Kenyon Street the man struck her in the face with the firearm and proceeded to take her Samsung Galaxy phone and wallet, containing her driver’s license and credit cards, before fleeing down Kenyon Street toward America Street. The victim described the suspect as a black male wearing red sweatpants and a black hooded jacket.

Around 4:30 p.m. a Providence Police Officer was patrolling in the area of America Street when she observed a man fitting the victim’s description of the suspect. She confronted the suspect and ordered him to the ground while displaying her department-issued firearm. She was joined on the scene by another Officer, who placed the suspect in handcuffs. The officers searched the suspect, locating a Samsung Galaxy phone and the license and credit cards belonging to the victim, as well as the firearm he displayed when robbing the victim. The victim was transported to the scene where she was able to positively identify the suspect as being responsible for the assault and robbery.

The suspect initially refused to identify himself, but was identified at the Police Station as Romario Keita, 19, of Providence. The firearm he displayed during the robbery was determined to be a BB gun and was seized by Providence Police. Keita faces First Degree Robbery charges and is scheduled to be arraigned in 6^th District Court.