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Officers responding to a 2:30 p.m. report of a backyard intruder on Memorial Place established a perimeter, after which Detective Thomas Giamannco spotted the suspect, Police Chief Michael Foligno said.
The suspect – identified as 20-year-old Austin Santiago of Elmwood Park – took off but was quickly chased down by Lt. Michael Kassai and Detective Chris Liptak, the chief said.
Santiago not only had tried to burglarize a Memorial Place home, Foligno said: He also was rushed by a homeowner after breaking into a Tuella Avenue home nearly 12 hours earlier.
“A violent struggle ensued and Santiago was able to escape prior to police arrival” around 3 a.m., the chief said.
He’d also committed another home burglary next door to the resistant victim and tried to break into a parked car nearby, he said.
Police charged Santiago with two counts of burglary – one involving force – as well as attempted burglary and resisting arrest.
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