A 37-year-old Warren man accused of stealing two vehicles at gunpoint and leading police on a chaotic chase across Aquidneck Island was arrested Monday morning in Somerset, Massachusetts, following a violent spree that spanned multiple towns and jurisdictions.
According to Newport police, the series of events began on Tuesday, September 22, 2025, at approximately 7:45 a.m., when the suspect — later identified as Jaron Monroe — pulled into the front parking lot of the Newport Police Department. Monroe told officers he was experiencing an emergency, though not a medical one. Officers said he remained inside his running vehicle with the windows partially lowered and appeared to be in the midst of a mental health crisis.
When asked to shut off the vehicle and step outside, Monroe instead locked the doors and drove away. A BOLO (Be On the Lookout) was immediately issued for his vehicle to check on his wellbeing.
Just 10 minutes later, at about 7:55 a.m., Monroe allegedly committed his first armed carjacking in the Shaw’s Supermarket parking lot at 71 East Main Road in Middletown. Police said he approached two victims seated in a white Jeep SUV, displayed a handgun, and stole the vehicle. The victims were not physically harmed.
Moments later, Monroe crashed the stolen Jeep into the rotary median at J.T. Connell Highway and Admiral Kalbfus Road in Newport. Witnesses reported he exited the vehicle waving a handgun and threatening bystanders before fleeing on foot.
At the nearby Admiralty Housing Complex, police said Monroe then carried out a second armed carjacking. He confronted a mother and her 9-year-old daughter inside a gray Toyota Highlander, pointed a firearm at them, and ordered them out of the vehicle. Both victims complied and were not physically injured. Monroe sped off in the Toyota and, in a shocking twist, drove through Gate 1 of the Newport Naval Base, making his way across the secure facility before exiting onto Burma Road.
From there, he continued north on West Main Road into Portsmouth, where police briefly pursued but called off the chase for safety reasons. Law enforcement agencies across Rhode Island and Massachusetts were quickly alerted.
At approximately 8:49 a.m., Monroe was involved in a single-vehicle crash in Somerset, Massachusetts, where he was taken into custody. A handgun was recovered at the scene of his arrest.
Authorities also confirmed Monroe had been involved in a crash on Valley Road in Middletown earlier that morning and had allegedly pointed a gun at another victim at the Shell gas station on East Main Road before the Shaw’s carjacking.
In total, the incident involved two armed carjackings, three vehicle crashes, and multiple victims. No one was physically injured, though police say numerous motorists and bystanders were threatened at gunpoint.
Monroe faces a lengthy list of charges. Middletown police have charged him with assault with intent to commit specified felonies, robbery of a motor vehicle occupant, felony assault, and duty to stop in accidents resulting in vehicle damage. Newport police, Middletown police, and the Massachusetts State Police are continuing their joint investigation. Monroe remains in custody in Massachusetts as charges are finalized.
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