NORTH SMITHFIELD – A North Smithfield man is facing assault and disorderly conduct charges after allegedly punching a man in the face because his girlfriend took a nap in a neighboring hotel room.
Lee Gervais, 51, was charged by North Smithfield police on Wednesday, April 8, following the incident at Hilltop Inn on Eddie Dowling Highway.
According to reports, the victim, a 53-year-old man, told police that Gervais’s girlfriend, a 34-year-old Providence woman, knocked on his hotel room door and asked to come in. The woman, the victim said, entered the room and fell asleep in his bed.
Sometime later, the victim told police, Gervais knocked on his door and barged into the room, punching him in the face. He said Gervais also pushed a friend who was visiting him to the ground before the two men forced the attacker out of the room.
While Gervais may have been taken into custody under normal circumstances, the arrest report notes that “due to the current COVID 19 concerns,” he was issued a third district court summons. Gervais has a mandatory court date on Thursday, May 14.
