Woonsocket Radio News Room

Final Report of the Providence County Grand Jury
Reported October 24, 2024

 

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

 

Trista Thivierge (age 20)

Bristol, RI

P1-2024-3304A

 

On October 24, 2024, the Providence County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Trista Thivierge with one count of child endangerment.

 

The alleged act occurred in the Town of Bristol on or about April 12, 2024. The Bristol Police Department conducted the investigation.

 

The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned on November 13, 2024, in Providence County Superior Court.

 

 

Jhonatan Cadima Huayta (age 21)

Cranston, RI

P1-2024-3305A

 

On October 24, 2024, the Providence County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Jhonatan Cadima Huayta with one count of first-degree child molestation and one count of simple assault.

 

The alleged acts occurred in the Town of Johnston on or about January 25, 2024. The Johnston Police Department conducted the investigation.

 

The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned on November 13, 2024, in Providence County Superior Court.

 

Yohan Perez Chala (age 39)

Providence, RI

P1-2024-3306A

 

On October 24, 2024, the Providence County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Yohan Perez Chala with one count of possession of more than one kilogram of a controlled substance (fentanyl) and one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance (fentanyl).

 

The alleged acts occurred in the City of Providence on or about May 30, 2024. The Providence Police Department conducted the investigation.

 

The defendant is scheduled to be arraigned on November 13, 2024, in Providence County Superior Court.

 

The House Oversight Committee plans to hold hearings on fraud allegations within Minnesota's social services programs. Committee Chairman James Comer invited Minnesota's Governor Tim Walz and its Attorney General Keith Ellison to testify on February 10th. Walz's office issued a statement said the governor is "happy to work with Congress," while also pointing to the committee's track record for holding what he called "circus hearings that have nothing to do with the issue at hand."        Over 20-million Americans are now facing higher health insurance costs after federal tax subsidies expired at year's end. The average cost of premiums through the Affordable Care Act is now expected to rise by 26-percent across the U.S., though it could be lower in states that run their own marketplace. Millions of people are expected to drop their health insurance because of the price hikes.        A lake-effect snowstorm is bringing heavy snow to the Great Lakes region to start the new year. Snow is expected to fall through Friday, with varying snowfall totals. Forecasters expect snow totals downwind of Lake Ontario could approach three feet in parts of upstate New York by Saturday morning. Totals could range from eight to 12 inches south of Buffalo, and parts of Pennsylvania could see up to a foot of new snow by Saturday morning.        Police are still looking for a suspect in the murders of an Ohio dentist and his wife. Columbus Police said officers responding for a welfare check at a residence on Tuesday morning discovered the bodies and 37-year-old Spencer Tepe and 39-year-old Monique Tepe. Officials have said there were no immediate signs of forced entry. However, no gun was found near the victims, so a murder-suicide does not seem likely. Two children under the age of six were also found unharmed in the home.        Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, is admitting it created explicit images of minors. Grok replied to a user's posts Thursday saying there had been "isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing." In another post, Grok acknowledged that xAI could face possible Justice Department probes or lawsuits due to the images. On Friday, Grok said, "We've identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them."        Miami is hosting the NHL Winter Classic tonight. This year's edition of the league's annual stadium event sees the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers taking on the New York Rangers. The roof is open at loanDepot Park with Miami feeling a cold snap. This is the farthest south the Winter Classic has ever been played.       

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