Police in Smithfield, R.I., took into custody the man accused of stealing more than $14,000 in wine from three states — including Connecticut — while he was shopping Thursday evening, Smithfield police said Friday.

Scott DeLuca, 25, of 236 Cohoes, N.Y., was charged Thursday with being a fugitive from justice.     

According to Smithfield police, DeLuca had three outstanding warrants in Rhode Island, including two bench warrants that stemmed from DeLuca's failure to appear in court and failure to pay fines resulting from two separate charges of driving with a suspended license.

Rhode Island court records show DeLuca also has a Superior Court case pending for felony larceny of more than $1,500 — a warrant was issued in that case when he failed to appear in court — and another district court case pending for misdemeanor shoplifting.

According to Smithfield police, an off-duty Cumberland police officer spotted DeLuca — whose last known suspected wine theft occurred in Groton Oct. 19 — at a shopping center around 8 p.m. Thursday.

Police said they were able to take DeLuca in "without incident."

In Groton — where DeLuca allegedly sauntered into a closed-off section of the Mystic Marriott's Octagon restaurant and stole a $4,800 bottle of wine around 2:15 p.m. Oct. 19 — town police said "they're initiating the extradition process."

In other words, Groton Town Police Lt. John Varone explained, police are readying for their next move once DeLuca has settled his cases in Rhode Island.

If DeLuca chooses to waive extradition, Varone said, Groton Town police will have a "specific amount of time" in which they can pick him up.

If he does not, then Groton police will have to apply for and issue a governor's warrant — a process that results in a "formal turnover" of those in custody and can take three to four months.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, they waive extradition when a state has a valid arrest warrant for a person in another state," Varone said, adding that he believes Groton is first in line for custody of DeLuca after the Rhode Island cases close.

DeLuca allegedly has used various tactics — from distraction to blatant shoplifting — in eight other robberies across New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. As a result, he has several warrants out for his arrest.

DeLuca was arraigned in Kent County District Court — located in Warwick, R.I. — Friday morning, at which time he did not waive extradition, according to Smithfield police.

DeLuca also will appear at the Rhode Island Superior Court in Providence in relation to the larceny charge.

Smithfield police said DeLuca is being held until his next district court date, which is scheduled for Jan. 19.

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle