NEWS

Two men arrested for home invasion

Brian Amaral
bamaral@providencejournal.com

PROVIDENCE — Two men were arrested in connection with a Harriet Street home invasion Wednesday, police said.

Joseph Almonte, 36, and Keven Restrepo, 28, were charged with first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, according to Commander Thomas Verdi.

A first-floor resident of 107 Harriet St. told police she heard a loud noise while she was in bed. When she got up to check on it, two armed, masked men entered her room and pushed her down onto her bed, she told police. One man hit her in the head with a handgun, she told police. Her iPhone was taken, police said.

A person upstairs heard the commotion and ran downstairs, spotting the men fleeing out of the back door, police said. He was able to take a picture of the suspects getting into the car, police said. Police also reviewed video that clearly showed the car’s license plate, police said. Police later found and searched the car, turning up two sets of black gloves, black masks, and a revolver-type weapon that turned out to be a BB gun, police said.

Restrepo previously served time in prison after a 2013 guilty plea to first-degree robbery, according to court records. Almonte pleaded no contest to second-degree armed robbery in 2013 and served time after admitting the charge, court records say. They were both presented as violators Thursday.