Saugus police arrest man trying to break into homes

SAUGUS – A Revere man is being held on $750 bail after police say he tried breaking into several homes on Whitney and Eustis Streets in Saugus early Thursday morning.Police arrested Danford U. DeSantis, 26, of 81A Aurelia Sylvia Dr., Revere, and charged him with two counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime and one count of wanton destruction of property under $250.According to documents obtained from Lynn District Court, police arrived at a home on Whitney Street at around 1:40 a.m. to find a resident holding DeSantis on the ground.Soon after, a Warden Street resident approached police saying he was a friend of DeSantis, but hadn?t seen him in years, said the arrest report.?He states he saw (DeSantis) earlier that evening and told him where he lived,” said the report. “He stated Mr. DeSantis just got out of detox a day or two ago and started banging on his door high on drugs.”According to the arrest report, when the Warden Street resident asked DeSantis to leave, DeSantis began banging on neighbors? doors while trying to gain access to several homes, said the report.The report said the Warden Street resident “tried talking DeSantis down from his high,” but was not successful, and DeSantis began entering homes yelling for help.According to the report, a resident on Eustis Street heard a loud banging noise in the common hallway of his apartment followed by breaking glass. When he looked out he saw a man stumble down the stairs, said the report.?As I looked through my apartment door peephole I saw a male come running/falling down the stairs and began to throw himself against my apartment door,” said the report. “It was apparent that the person gained entrance (to the common hallway) by kicking in the front door.”From there the report states a resident on Whitney Street heard the front door open followed by a man screaming, “Please don?t hurt me.”Shortly after that resident heard the door close, another resident on Whitney Street heard pounding on his door and a man yelling for help, said the report.In the report, the resident of that house said he opened the door “a couple of inches” and a male party tried to push his way in. The resident said the man told him that someone was trying to kill him, said the report.According to the report, after the resident was able to push the man out of the doorway and lock the door, he heard glass breaking. The report states that the resident then chased the man toward Eustis Street and held him down until police arrived.The report states DeSantis was arrested without incident. He is due back in court on Nov. 8.