Superior Court: Pleas to Animal Abuse, Stolen Goods

Unless otherwise noted, information about the following cases was supplied by files at Fourth Division District Court or Washington County Superior Court at the .

Former North Kingstown Resident Sentenced for Narragansett Theft

Calin Otis, 27, now of 69 Federal St., Providence, formerly of 41 Dayton Court, North Kingstown, pleaded no contest on May 3 in Washington County Superior Court to a Narragansett police charge of receiving stolen goods worth more than $500.

Otis was ordered to serve six months at the ACI, retroactive to Feb. 3. Upon his release, he must complete a 6.5 year suspended sentence and an equivalent amount of probation. He was also ordered to pay $450 in assessments, and a hearing will be scheduled for restitution.

According to Narragansett police reports included in court files, the charges against Otis stemmed from theft reports in April 2010.

A Narragansett woman in her 20s woke up one morning at about 5 a.m. and saw Otis on her porch. When asked what he was doing, she said Otis told her that he saw the door open and was just checking on her roommates.

The woman told police that she went back to bed, but when she woke up for the day a few hours later, noticed that several items – a laptop and two television sets – were missing. She identified Otis as a suspect, claiming that a few weeks prior, he had been at the house and offered her and her housemates tattoos.

Police said they questioned Otis that day, but he denied being at the house. Without additional evidence, he couldn’t be arrested at that time.

In June 2011, police interviewed a friend of Otis, who Otis initially blamed for the thefts. However, this friend told police that Otis took the stuff.

According to the witness, Otis came to him after the theft and asked where he could unload the goods in Pawtucket. The witness also had an alibi – he had several contacts with North Kingstown police the night of the theft, and was also on security footage from a Dunkin’ Donuts.

Based on the witness statement, and the statement from the victim, an arrest warrant was issued for Otis. At that time, he said he was innocent, and said his friend was a gang leader in North Kingstown who could get people to lie for him.

Otis’ sentence runs concurrently with another six-month sentence. According to online court records, on March 2 he pleaded no contest to Providence police felony drug charges.

In May 2011, Otis was accused of in South Kingstown. However, the charges were dismissed in August 2011.

Former South Kingstown Resident Ordered to Undergo Counseling in Animal Abuse Case

Alex Butler, 19, formerly of South Kingstown and now of Great Barrington, MA, pleaded no contest on May 1 in Washington County Superior Court to a South Kingstown police charge of malicious injury to an animal.

In return for his plea, an additional charge of simple assault was dismissed.

Butler was sentenced to complete 100 hours of community service and to pay $270 in assessments. He was ordered to continue with a mental health program and school he is now attending in Massachusetts. The rest of his sentence will be deferred, if he complies with his treatment program.

According to South Kingstown police reports included in court files, in May 2011 police received a report of an intoxicated 18-year-old, later identified as Butler, hurting himself at a South Kingstown home.

Officer Michael Bronson responded to the scene and subdued Butler, who had a knife at the time of his arrest. Police noted that Butler had deep cuts to his right hand, left bicep, chest, thighs and feet.

Police said when a paramedic attempted to treat Butler, he punched her in the face. Butler also boasted to police that he had killed the family cat – police later found it in a dumpster. An autopsy revealed that it had been drowned and then stabbed several times.

According to police, a journal was found at the scene that listed other animals and implied their death. However, no other animal abuse charges were ever filed. The journal was given to doctors at a mental health facility after Butler was committed.

If we’re missing a result you’re interested in knowing about, feel free to leave a comment or to send Local Editor Stephen Greenwell a message at Stephen.greenwell@patch.com.

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