Rhode Island woman arrested in connection to beating of 35-year-old mom traveling with her child in road-rage incident

On Thursday, a 24-year-old Rhode Island woman was arrested in connection to an incident caught on camera earlier this week in which a 35-year-old mother traveling with her daughter was beaten in an alleged road-rage incident.

Shyanne Boisvert of North Providence was charged with one count of simple assault and one count of disorderly conduct following the assault of a 35-year-old woman in Providence who was traveling with her 8-year-old daughter as well as a friend and puppy, police told the Boston Globe.

Cranston Police Department notified detectives on Boisvert's whereabouts when she reported to their station regarding an unrelated matter.

The assault took place on Tuesday night, when a group of approximately 10 ATV and dirt bike riders in Smith Hill reportedly dragged the woman from her car and beat her.

At around 11pm Tuesday, the driver came upon the group of ATVs and dirt bikes at the intersection of Smith and Orms street. When the group did not move after the light turned green, she honked at them.

While stopped at a following light on Zone Street, the riders allegedly surrounded her vehicle, preventing her from moving.

The victim told police that the riders "dragged" her out of the drivers seat and into the street, proceeding to punch and kick her before riding off, leaving her in the road.

Snapchat footage of the incident was obtained by Providence's WLNE-TV, showing the brutal assault.

Boisvert is reportedly a known suspect to police. She was one of three people arrested in January in connection to a Cranston officer being pushed, surrounded, and run over while responding to "dozens of recklessly driven motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles," according to the Boston Globe. Boisvert allegedly pushed the officer who approached her on foot.

In response to the brutal attack, local leaders on Wednesday called for police to put a stop to rising violence plaguing the city.

Providence City Councilor David Salvatore wrote in a statement that he was "horrified" to hear about the incident, adding that the news was "disturbing and deeply unsettling."

"I am calling on my council colleagues to suspend our August recess to convene an emergency City Council as a Whole meeting. I am calling on Mayor Elorza, Commissioner Pare and the Providence Police Department to join us to discuss their plan to address the violence in our city, which has become an out of control, almost daily threat to the safety of our residents," wrote Salvatore.

"The gun violence, the physical attacks and reckless behavior of individuals in our city have resulted in grief, loss, and fear in our community. It is time for the city to take decisive action to put a stop to this senseless violence and better serve the people trying to make a home in the city of Providence," he continued.

City Council President John Igliozzi sent a letter to Governor Dan McKee on Thursday urging him to deploy Rhode Island State Police troopers to assist Providence Police in addressing violence across the city.

"This wave of violent crime is unacceptable, and we need to act immediately to restore public safety and make our city's residents once again feel safe walking and sitting outside in their own neighborhoods," wrote Igliozzi.

"Like the rest of Rhode Island, the capital city re-opened in recent months as the pandemic improved, and residents and visitors alike have resumed dining out, listening to live music, and patronizing our small businesses," he continued. "The rampant violence we are experiencing threatens all of that; we need to ensure that Providence is welcoming and inviting for everyone who lives and visits here."

"Unfortunately, our police department is stretched thin, with only 400 police officers, down from the approximately 500 officers we had during the period Providence successfully implemented community policing—one of the main drivers behind the decline in violent crime in the city during the 2000s," he continued.

Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza called the incident "awful," adding that the city will "continue to dedicate all our available resources to getting these illegal ATVs off our streets and bring those responsible to justice."

"Our police department has seized and destroyed over 200 bikes and we will continue to pull over and arrest people who are using these bikes illegally," Elorza added.