By JON BAKER

LINCOLN — Police quelled what could have been a “tragic situation” — according to Chief Brian Sullivan — when they arrested Daniel Carrero, 19, of 63 John St., Pawtucket, early Sunday morning on a felony charge of possession of a firearm without a license.

Sullivan stated yesterday afternoon the retrieved weapon — a .22-caliber Sterling pistol —may have been used during a shooting earlier in the night in Central Falls, though no injuries had been suffered.
Following the arrest, Carrero was arraigned at headquarters by Justice of the Peace Bernard Lemos, then transferred to the Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston at 9:20 a.m. He remained there Sunday night on $300,000 surety bail.
Another man, Jorge Pinero, 19, of 812 Main St., Blackstone, had been held during the investigation, but later was released without charges being filed, Sullivan said.
The incident began at 12:52 a.m., Sunday, when Officer Jason Bolduc — patrolling the area of Great Road and Front Street — noticed an occupied 2004 gray Cadillac (with Massachusetts registration plates) parked at Larry’s Lincoln Gulf gas station.
“Officer Bolduc knew the station was closed at that time, so proceeded to check what was happening,” Sullivan said. “The car in which the two men were sitting was between two other vehicles. At that time of night, obviously, that’s suspicious activity.”
Mere seconds later, Officers Kyle Wingate and Gwendolyn Thompson arrived as backup.
Pinero initially told Bolduc that he was giving his cousin, sitting in the passenger seat (of the Cadillac), directions, but then “changed his story, stating Carrero did not need directions but just his P.O. Box number,” Bolduc wrote in his report. “I observed Carrero to act odd and extremely nervous. Carrero seemed to be sweating and was shifting in his seat.”
While speaking with Carrero, and verifying his identity, Bolduc and his colleagues discovered via dispatch that the particular vehicle matched one broadcast by Central Falls police. At that point, both were asked to exit the car, and also were patted down for officer safety. During Wingate’s “pat down” of Carrero, he discovered the unloaded pistol in Carrero’s right front pocket. Bolduc immediately gained possession of the gun and handcuffed the suspect.
Det. Capt. Kevin Guindon and Det. Jeff Araujo of CFPD then were called, and Guindon told Bolduc there had been a shooting in the city, and the suspect’s vehicle and registration could have been involved. Guindon added that no one was injured, though a 22-caliber shell casing had been recovered at the scene.
Both the Cadillac and a blue 1999 Buick belonging to Carrero were seized as evidence, and transported to Lincoln headquarters by a towing company.
“First of all, I would say that it was good heads-up work by the three officers who responded,” Sullivan said. “The other thing that comes to mind is that Lincoln, contrary to popular belief, is not immune to these types of incidents, where somebody carring a gun is found.
“It could’ve been tragic if the officers hadn’t paid strict attention to detail,” he continued. “When you hear about something like this, it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. This kind of thing is scary, but everything worked out just as it was supposed to.”