Caregiver of previously missing Rhode Island developmentally disabled woman released on bail, facing several charges

Colonel Michael J. Winquist, Chief of the Cranston Police Department, announces that after an exhaustive 70-hour investigation and search involving multiple law enforcement agencies, Linda DaLomba, a developmentally disabled woman, has been found safe, and her caregiver has been arrested. 

DaLomba was reported missing by her caregiver, Roberta Gerard, on Wednesday, March 19, at approximately 3:58 PM. Initially, Gerard informed investigators that she last saw DaLomba inside the Burlington Coat Factory at 2:30 PM. However, after an extensive review of surveillance footage and further questioning, Gerard admitted that she had fabricated the story. She later stated that DaLomba went missing from the back of her vehicle at 34-36 North Clarendon Street after she briefly entered her residence to heat food. Gerard estimated that DaLomba was out of sight for approximately four minutes. 

In response, Patrol and Detective Division members worked tirelessly, conducting interviews, reviewing surveillance footage, and executing ground and aerial searches. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, State Police, and the Providence Police Department, supported the search efforts. 

The breakthrough in the case came at approximately 12:13 PM this afternoon when a resident on Pond Street contacted the Cranston Police Dispatch Center after discovering DaLomba lying inside the rear hatch area of his Honda Pilot SUV, which had been parked for several weeks. DaLomba was conscious and alert and was immediately transported to Rhode Island Hospital for evaluation. Preliminary findings suggest she had been inside the vehicle for an extended period. 

43-year-old Roberta Gerard was taken into custody at approximately 1:54 PM and arraigned on charges including Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation of an Adult with Severe Impairment (a felony offense), Obstruction of an Officer in the Execution of Duty, and False Report of a Crime. She was released on $5000 surety bail and scheduled to appear for formal arraignment in the Third District Court in Warwick tomorrow morning. 

The investigation remains ongoing to determine how DaLomba ended up in the vehicle. The location where DeLomba was found was a short distance from the nail salon Gerard visited in the afternoon before reporting DaLomba was missing. 

“We are grateful for the support from the community, especially from the caregiver network, who assisted in our efforts and kept Ms. DaLomba in their thoughts and prayers,” said Colonel Winquist. “I commend the dedicated officers and our law enforcement partners who worked relentlessly to reunite Ms. DaLomba with her family and friends.”