Dianne Folco was outside working on her 5 Friendship Lane home Sept. 3 at 12:26 p.m. when she saw a young man walk up and down the road, tuck her neighbor's red LL Bean kayak under an arm, and start dragging it from the driveway.
As the young man began dragging the kayak toward Stillwater Road, Folco yelled, "Hey, what are you doing?" several times, according to a report from Smithfield Patrolman Joseph Marcello. The youth dropped the kayak and ran onto Stillwater Road, followed by a Red pickup truck.
Smithfield Police stopped a truck matching Folco's description at Whipple Field, and Marcello transported Folco to the field to identify the young man who tried stealing the kayak. Folco identified both the truck and the young man, according to Marcello's report.
The driver, Stiven Zapata, 18, of 82 Follett St., North Smithfield, told police he and the youth were driving around town looking to pick up items to sell at a flea market. He admitted they saw the kayak in the driveway of 9 Friendship Lane.
The owner of the kayak, Meridith Wright, 41, told police she wanted to file a criminal complaint.
Zapata and the youth were each charged with attempted larceny of under $1,500 and conspiracy. Zapata was issued a summons to appear in Third District Court to answer the charges today.
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