Providence man convicted, jailed in mall spitting incident

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Michael Brooks, 18, who was one of four young people accused of spitting on and roughing up a family of four at Providence Place mall, has been convicted of disorderly conduct and sentenced to serve 30 days at the state prison.

Brooks was not charged with spitting, but with unleashing a stream of verbal abuse against Luciano O. Pires, 40, of Milford, Mass., and challenging him to fight. Pires was at the mall with his wife, Sonia O. Pires, now 30, their baby son and a 7-year-old son.

In the widely publicized incident, on a WaterFire night Oct. 10, Pires said he was with his family when he felt something moist hit his head. He looked up, to see some teenagers spitting from the floor above.

When the man demanded to know why they were doing it, Brooks, two other youths and a teenaged female rushed downstairs and surrounded the couple, according to the police. The female pushed Pires and punched his wife in the face, the police said.

The suspects, who admitted they had been drinking vodka, were detained by mall security after a struggle, and turned over to the police.