Police called for a fire inside a business at Dollar Tree on Narragansett Park Drive wound up arresting a man there for assault Dec. 8, when a woman told them he'd hit her.
Officer William Dubois arrived at the scene first at 6:18 p.m., and spoke with an employee at the store, who pointed out a woman and man near a green Volkswagen, saying, "That guy assaulted the woman he's with," according to the officer's report.
She said as the two exited the store just before police arrived, the man pushed and punched the woman several times. The woman backed up the employee's account, saying she wanted to press charges.
Dubois spoke with the man, Steven Virulet, 19, of 168 Cottage St., Apt. 2F, Pawtucket, who openly admitted to slapping and punching the woman during an argument in the parking lot. Virulet said the argument had begun in the store, during which they noticed an item on one of the shelves on fire, but had nothing to do with it.
The EPFD also responded to the call, and they investigated the fire with EPPD detectives.
Dubois arrested Virulet, charging him with simple assault.
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