WOONSOCKET – After allegedly eluding police in Glocester earlier in the day – a Chepachet man with a serial history of assaulting his children’s mother and violating court protective orders to keep away from her – was arrested Monday in the woman’s home.
Described as “a dangerous individual who has threatened to kill and shoot police officers attempting to locate him in the past,” Michael Anthony Dwinnell, 32, of 198 Lake Drive, is facing charges of felony domestic assault, domestic disorderly conduct and four counts of violating a no-contact order. All the latter charges, as well as the assault, are felonies because of the frequency with which he has been charged with the crimes.
A second man was also arrested for lying to police regarding the whereabouts of Dwinnell when they caught up with him at 76 Adams St. shortly after 8 p.m. Police said Charles Brehio, 31, who lives at 76 Adams St., falsely told them Dwinnell was not in the victim’s home, which is precisely where they found him moments later. Brehio was charged with obstructing.
Charles Brehio
Most of the charges against Dwinnell stem from an incident that occurred on June 20, according to police reports, when he allegedly went to 76 Adams St. and got into an argument with the victim about the availability of seating at a school graduation ceremony. In that incident, police reports say the victim, a 35-year-old woman, lapsed into a panic attack. While someone else was comforting her, Dwinnell grabbed the woman by the neck from behind and slammed her into a staircase, causing, “a large bruise engulfing her entire right arm bicep and tricep,” as Patrol Officer Justin Erben Fortes put it.
The following day, Dwinnell allegedly returned to the residence to drop off two children. When asked to leave, he allegedly refused and threw a bicycle at their mother’s car.
At least one of the no-contact order violations lodged against Dwinnell stems from an incident in which he allegedly reached her via a video call, police said.
Except for the alleged interference by Brehio, Dwinnell was arrested without incident on Monday, Sept. 4, after police received some troubling information from the victim.
“Information was provided that Michael was involved in a motor vehicle pursuit in the town of Glocester earlier in the day and he may be utilizing a police scanner to intercept our radio transmissions,” Patrol Officer Robert Frye’s report says.
The woman told police that she had let Dwinnell use her vehicle and the Glocester police had tried to stop him. She said the Glocester police had towed the vehicle, but that Dwinnell had nevertheless showed up at her house in the morning.
She told police she had asked him several times to leave but he refused, leading her to call for help.
After knocking on the door of the victim’s apartment, police said Dwinnell surrendered and was taken into custody without further ado.
Dwinnell is also expected to face Glocester police charges as a result of Monday’s events. In addition, he is on probation for a 2022 conviction for simple assault and has already been charged by state prosecutors as a violator, according to the judiciary’s web site.
Follow Russ Olivo on X @russolivo
