NEWS

Laparto says he 'took, didn't steal' Vella-Wilkinson sign

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 10/22/20

By JOHN HOWELL Republican House District 21 candidate Ron Laparto said in an interview last week that he "e;took,"e; but did not steal, a campaign sign of incumbent Democratic candidate Camille Vella-Wilkinson. Laporto was arrested by Warwick Police on Oct.

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NEWS

Laparto says he 'took, didn't steal' Vella-Wilkinson sign

Posted

Republican House District 21 candidate Ron Laparto said in an interview last week that he “took,” but did not steal, a campaign sign of incumbent Democratic candidate Camille Vella-Wilkinson.

Laporto was arrested by Warwick Police on Oct. 11 for stealing a Vella-Wilkinson sign from in front of D’Angelo’s at Hoxsie Four Corners.

Laparto related a tale of how his signs have a history of disappearing from the sandwich shop location. He said when his signs were taken from the location in the 2016 campaign, he confronted one of Vella-Wilkinson’s campaign workers – although he was running against Sen. Michael McCaffrey at the time – who admitted he had taken them and that he would pull up any signs Laparto sought to replace.

He said when he spotted Vella-Wilkinson’s sign, he removed it with the intention of bringing it to her. His actions happened to be seen by the husband of a volunteer who worked on Vella-Wilkinson’s 2016 campaign. Vella-Wilkinson was notified.

Laparto said he wanted to stop home to let his dog out before returning the sign. On the way he stopped at a supporter’s home, and that’s when police showed up to question him, barely 15 minutes after he took the sign.

Laparto insists this was not an act of stealing Vella-Wilkinson’s sign. He said police questioned whether he had the sign and he showed it to them.

Police accompanied him to D’Angelo’s where he returned the sign. As Vella-Wilkinson said she would pursue charges, Laparto was arrested. He was charged with one count of larceny under $1,500. The sign was valued at $40.

Reached for comment last Friday, Vella-Wilkinson said she is pressing charges in an effort to stem the theft and vandalism of political signs.

“I would hope that people think twice before vandalizing signs,” she said. She pointed out that signs cost money and that the money used to buy them comes from donations. She reasoned those stealing and vandalizing signs are in essence offending the people and asked what does that say of them and the candidate they support. If the candidate endorsed those actions, “what kind of public official would he be?”

Vella-Wilkinson said she does not place signs without the approval of the property owner or manager. She said she has told her supporters not to tamper with the signs of other candidates unless they have been blown over or cause a hazardous situation.

She found Laparto’s claim that he had “taken, not stolen” her sign preposterous and she put no credence in his story that one of her campaign workers had taken his signs four years ago. The complaint is scheduled to be heard in court on Jan. 14.

CO-EXISTING FOR NOW: Signs of contending candidates for House District 21 as seen outside the D’Angelo’s sandwich shop at Hoxsie Four Corners. (Warwick Beacon photo)

Laparto, signs

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  • tellitlikeitis

    What an absolute idiot.

    Wednesday, November 4, 2020 Report this