An 18-year-old Coventry man is facing serious charges after police say he tried to break into a home, ran from officers on foot, and left behind a loaded pistol at the scene. Dylan Benda now faces counts of attempted breaking and entering and using a firearm while committing a crime of violence.
According to WJAR, Benda was arrested after police received a call about a breaking-and-entering incident at a Coventry home. Officers located him after he fled the scene on foot, and the Coventry Police Department took him into custody. At the scene, officers found a loaded pistol, the station reported.
Charges and Next Steps in Court
Benda is facing charges of attempted breaking and entering along with using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, per the same report. Coventry police say he is expected to be arraigned Thursday at Kent County Courthouse.
The case is still working its way through the system, and as with any pending matter, additional details — including how exactly the firearm came to be recovered at the scene — have not been made public. Rhode Island's court system does provide public access to electronic case records, though that access, according to the Rhode Island Judiciary, does not extend to sealed cases or confidential case types and documents.
A Similar Scare in Coventry
This is not the only recent case in Coventry involving an alleged armed break-in attempt. In a separate incident reported by WPRI, two Providence men, Aaron Tanzi, 39, and Evan Pono, 38, were accused of trying to force their way into a home on Mill Street in Coventry while armed with a knife and a handgun.
Tanzi and Pono were arraigned on several charges including burglary and felony assault and battery, WPRI reported. Tanzi was also charged with possessing a firearm while committing a crime of violence, while Pono faced a charge of possessing a knife while committing a crime of violence. Police said both men were probation violators and were ordered held without bail.
