PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Gulino’s Auto Body at 1062 Broadway, Revere, was damaged when a suspect fleeing from police crashed a U-Haul truck into the building early Sunday morning.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
SAUGUS — A Cambridge man was arrested after allegedly breaking into a Saugus sub shop and leading police on a chase that ended with him crashing into a building in Revere on Sunday morning, Saugus police said.
Robert Silvia, 50, was charged with nighttime breaking and entering into a building for a felony, attempt to commit a crime (larceny from a building), failure to stop for police, operation of a motor vehicle with a revoked license, speeding and other motor vehicle violations.
Saugus Police responded to a burglary alarm alert from Santoro’s Sub-Villa on Essex Street shortly after 3 a.m. Before the alarm, an officer saw a 2017 Ford U-Haul truck parked outside of the business, police said.
Responding officers found that the restaurant had been broken into and the glass front doors had been smashed, police said.
Officers then saw the U-Haul truck exit from Route 1 onto Walnut Street. Police tried to pull the truck over, but the driver, Silvia, allegedly took off speeding, police said.
When Silvia failed to stop for police, he was pursued from Lynn and then back into Saugus. As it was entering Revere on Route 107, the truck struck a Revere police cruiser, and then crashed into Gulino’s Auto Body at 1062 Broadway, police said.
Silvia allegedly left the U-Haul and ran inside the building. Police found him inside, where he was arrested.
After the truck crashed into the building, it immediately caught on fire, with the blaze extending into Gulino’s Auto Body. The fire was extinguished by responding fire crews.
There were no injuries. The Revere police officer was not inside his cruiser when it was struck, and was able to move out of the way.
Silvia is scheduled to be arraigned in Lynn District Court on Monday.
The incident is under investigation by Saugus police, who are also investigating whether Silvia was involved in a break-in that occurred earlier Sunday morning at a business close to Santoro’s Sub-Villa.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.