PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Tiverton, Rhode Island man is facing four felony charges after police say he admitted to breaking into homes to steal sex toys he reportedly claimed he wanted to give as a birthday gift.
Benjamin Nadrowski, 32, was arraigned before a judge in district court Tuesday morning on two counts each of entering of a building with felonious intent and attempted breaking and entering.
According to police, officers were dispatched around 10:45 p.m. on June 2 to a home on Power Street for a report of a suspicious person. The dispatcher told police a person was trying to break through a window.
When police arrived, a resident of the home said while he was getting ready for bed, he saw someone standing outside his window on top of a chair and trying to get in through the bathroom window.
In court, police reported the resident said he confronted the suspect and told him to leave the property. According to the police report obtained by Nexstar’s WPRI, the resident told officers the suspect apologized and said he had the wrong house, then left in a white vehicle.
The resident described the suspect as a white male with blonde hair driving a white Kia.
About an hour later, the resident saw the same vehicle at the corner of Brook and Benevolent streets with the door open.
As police approached the scene, they observed a man matching a description of the suspect going through a dumpster with a flashlight in his hands.
The police report notes that a body-worn camera was activated.
Nadrowski was arrested and reportedly told police he had peered into the home on Power Street. He said he was “attempting to buy weed,” but then realized he was at the wrong location when he was confronted by the homeowner, according to police.
Detectives asked Nadrowski about three other breaking-and-entering incidents from the week prior. According to a supplemental police narrative obtained by WPRI, Nadrowski admitted to entering a home on Armstrong Street on May 27 and said he stole a “sex toy” from a bedroom.
When questioned further, Nadrowski also told police he broke into a home on Furnace Street and stole two more sex toys from separate bedrooms, the narrative says.
Nadrowski also allegedly admitted to attempting to steal a makeup palette from an area home, but dropped it and ran when a female tenant confronted him.
The police report adds that Nadrowski told investigators he was aware college students would be graduating and was in the area to try and retrieve items that may have been thrown out.
Nadrowski said he didn’t steal any items of value from the residences, only women’s sex toys he said he intended to give to someone as a birthday gift, according to police.
Due to the felony charges, no plea was entered in court.
The judge set bail at $2,500 with surety for the breaking and entering charges and $5,000 personal recognizance for the attempted breaking and entering charges, with conditions Nadrowski not go back to the residences and complete a mental health screening.
Tim White contributed to this report.