BY VINAYA SAKSENA

EAST PROVIDENCE — Police have apparently made progress, but not arrests, in the investigation into the drowning deaths of three baby raccoons this weekend.

According to East Providence Police Lt. Stephen Enos, the carcasses of the young raccoons were found Saturday night, with police responding to Second Street for a report of dead animals found in the area. The raccoons were reportedly found in a trash can on the property.
“They had been drowned,” Enos said. “It was within the previous hour or two that it occurred.”
According to Enos, police were called to the area that evening by the landlord of the property where the raccoons were found. The landlord reportedly told police of previous problems with raccoons in the attic of the property, but was apparently surprised by the discovery of the drowned raccoons there.
Police detectives are investigating the matter in conjunction with the State Department of Environmental Management (DEM), Enos said. The culprit could face a charge of malicious injury or killing of an animal, a felony.
Enos said police did have “some suspects” in the killing of the baby raccoons, though he added that no arrests had been made as of press time.
He indicated that police did make an arrest in the neighborhood that night on a disorderly conduct charge. However, Enos said, that incident was not believed to be related to the raccoon killings.
The incident came just days after an SUV slammed through the window of the Sun Travel office on Warren Avenue. Enos said his department had seen its share of unusual incidents in recent weeks.
“I’ll tell you, it’s been a bizarre month,” he said. “Every once in awhile, it gets like this.”