Man Barred From Festival Field Found Trespassing in Stairwell with Knife

NEWPORT, RI—A Newport officer who responded to a fight at the Festival Field apartment complex late Tuesday ended up making a trespassing arrest thanks to a sharp eye. And he might have thwarted a more serious crime after he saw a man wearing all black acting suspiciously in a stairwell.

Police eventually arrested 19-year-old Calvin Orlando Febles, of 24 Ludlow Ave., Middletown, for allegedly trespassing at the complex after he couldn't explain why he was in a maintenance stairwell carrying a knife.

As it turns out, police reported, Febles was previously issued a no-trespass order barring him from being on the property in February.

According to a police report, the officer was traveling in his patrol car through the apartments at 90 Girard Ave. at around 12:32 a.m. early Wednesday morning when he saw a man wearing all black standing in the stairwell of building 5.

The officer got out and immediately recognized Febles, who "began to quickly walk away, looking over his shoulder at me."

The officer reported being remembering the no-trespass order barring Febles from Festival Field in connection with an earlier domestic incident, noting that Febles refused to sign it at the time.

Febles, according to the report, told police that he was visiting his daughter and that's why he was at the scene. But he couldn't say which apartment she was in, nor could he say who she was staying with, or why he was wearing all black.

During the arrest, Febles said "I know I was wrong, but I didn't sign the papers, though," in reference to his refusal to sign the Feb. 25 trespass order.

During a search, police found a knife that was exactly 3-inches long, according to the report.

Febles was held for arraignment Wednesday in Newport District Court where he pleaded no contest to a willful trespass charge. He was sentenced to one year of probation, ordered to pay court costs and to keep away from an unidentified victim.

The arresting officer was at the scene because police were dispatched a short time earlier for the fight, which resulted in one victim being transported to Newport Hospital.

Police said there is no known suspect for that assault.

Note: This story was updated at 2:14 p.m. to correct an error. An earlier version of the story incorrectly said Febles pleaded no contest to a vandalism charge. He pleaded no contest to a willful trespass charge. We regret the error.