Residents concerned after violent incidents during first weekend of ‘Al Fresco on the Hill’
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Two separate incidents of violence outside of Opa Restaurant on Atwells Avenue this past weekend are sparking concern among residents.
An attempted armed robbery and an assault happened during the first weekend of ‘Al Fresco on the Hill,’ which allows outdoor dining to expand onto Atwells Avenue during the summer months.
“Having that be the first weekend, it’s definitely a little scary,” Lexi Holmes, a Federal Hill resident, said. “Hopefully security improves over the rest of the weekends.”
One person was hurt and a woman was taken in custody after an assault in the parking lot of Opa Restaurant on Atwells Avenue around 2 a.m. Saturday.
“I think it sets a little bit of a bad tone for living here,” Holmes added. “And being a resident of Providence, it’s definitely uneasy to have incidents happen.”
With more people typically flocking to Federal Hill during the summer, resident Elizabeth Ng said it’s in the hands of law enforcement.
“As long as police are doing their job, and everything is safe from now, on you can only go from there,” Ng said. “I’m also concerned but hopefully, it gets dealt with.”
Providence police are also investigating an attempted armed robbery outside of Opa that happened Sunday just before 10 p.m.
The two masked suspects escaped to Pawtucket, prompting another resident, Scott Fitzmaurice, to say neighbors need to look out for each other, especially when there’s crime.
“The fact that someone thinks they can get away with doing that, that bothers me,” Scott Fitzmaurice said. “So I think holding people accountable is really important.”
“We have had a couple cars broken into, things like that,” Fitzmaurice added. “But I think as neighbors if we notice things and stick together and have a high standard as to how it should be safe, I think that can really affect a community.”
The owner of Opa told ABC 6 News off camera that he’s devastated by the two incidents, adding that it’s both bad for business and the area.
Police continued to investigate both incidents Monday night.
