SAUGUS — Police Chief Domenic DiMella reports that the Saugus Police Department arrested a man for allegedly breaking and entering into an automotive shop late Tuesday night and assaulting the store manager.
JOSEPH F. LANZILLI III, AGE 36, OF SAUGUS, is charged with:
• Breaking and Entering Into a Building at Nighttime for Felony
• Breaking and Entering into a Vehicle/Boat at Nighttime for a Felony (Two Counts)
• Malicious Destruction of Property Over $250
• Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Knife)
• Larceny Over $250
• Assault and Battery
• Larceny of a Motor Vehicle
On Jan. 5, at approximately 10:40 p.m., police responded to Final Finish Collision Center, 24 Bennett Highway, on a report of an armed robbery in progress.
Upon police’s arrival, they found the store manager, who was injured from an altercation with the suspect. He told police that earlier that morning, around 1:45 a.m., the shop had been broken into by a man seen on video surveillance.
Later that evening, around 10:30 p.m., a store employee noticed the suspect had returned to the shop and the employee informed the store manager.
When the manager arrived, he noticed a man standing near a vehicle that had been moved to the other side of a secured gate. The store manager reported the man had a knife in his hand and began approaching him.
The man, later identified as LANZILLI, then allegedly assaulted the manager. A 911 call was made, and LANZILLI fled the scene, heading toward a wooded area by Revere.
Saugus and Revere police established a perimeter and the Massachusetts State Police K-9 unit arrived to help locate LANZILLI.
At the same time, police began reviewing the store’s surveillance, which depicted LANZILLI inside vehicles in the secured area of the shop.
Around midnight, police located LANZILLI in the area of Mount Vernon and Laurel streets. He was placed under arrest and then taken to North Shore Medical Center’s Union Hospital in Lynn for medical evaluation. The store manager declined transportation to an area hospital but sought medical attention on his own following the incident.
“This suspect acted maliciously and without care or caution for the safety of others at the business,” Chief DiMella said. “I commend the work of Saugus officers and want to thank the Revere and State Police for their assistance during the incident.”
Following LANZILLI’S release from the hospital, he was held at the Saugus Police Department pending his arraignment at Lynn District Court Wednesday morning.
These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.
