Rhode Island Attorney General to prosecute rioting suspects

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The Rhode Island Attorney General's Office said Friday they will be prosecuting the suspects in the June riots.

While it has the authority, the attorney general's office does not typically prosecute misdemeanor cases unless a suspect is on probation or parole for a previous crime.

However, a spokeswoman said in a statement Friday, "Given the large number of cases arising out of the same general series of events, this Office, to ensure consistency in charging decision-making and disposition recommendations, exercised its discretion to prosecute all criminal matters -- that is, all misdemeanors, even where a person was not a probation or bail violator -- in addition to all felonies, arising out of the incidents on June 2 and June 3."

More than 65 suspected looters were arrested, and ranged in age from 14 all the way up to 51 years old.

Authorities said the violence escalated at around 2 a.m. on June 2 with the crowd throwing bricks, rocks, flares, and fireworks at Providence police and Rhode Island State Police.

Police said a crowd pushed their way into the mall and tried to set it on fire, but Providence police and state police drove them out before they were able to.

A Providence police cruiser was set on fire and businesses were destroyed.