Reading Police Defuse Two Situations Involving Same Man

READING, MA — A Reading man was arrested early Friday after being involved in two potentially dangerous situations that were de-escalated by officers, police said.

Stephen DeSantis, 34, faces a litany of charges, including breaking and entering, arson and drug possession.

Officers first encountered DeSantis around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, when they responded to a reported disturbance on Bay State Road. Police said DeSantis was in a parking lot acting erratically and appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine.

DeSantis was carrying a drink he had stolen from a nearby convenience store, as well as items stolen from a home on Bay State Road, police said. He also pulled a fire alarm within view of responding officers, police said.

Police said they spoke to DeSantis and took him into custody without incident. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation, and officers seized a glass pipe, a bottle containing a variety of pills and a bag with a powdered substance believed to be methamphetamine, police said.

DeSantis had also previously burned a fire alarm sensor at the Bay State Road home with a lighter, police said. He was issued a summons for the incident.

Later, around 2:40 a.m. Friday, police responded to an active break-in on Border Road. The suspect, whose description matched DeSantis, had fled the scene, police said. Woburn and state police reported that a man had been seen leaving a ride-share vehicle on I-95 near Border Road, and Reading police found DeSantis shortly after, police said.

DeSantis again began acting erratically, and officers developed a rapport with him to defuse the situation, police said. He was arrested without incident.

"In two instances over an eight-hour period, our officers located a suspect who exhibited erratic behavior consistent with someone in distress as a result of dangerous narcotics," Police Chief David Clark said. "De-escalating potentially dangerous situations like these is one of our top priorities as a department because it helps ensure the safety of suspects, the public and officers alike. The officers who responded to these incidents handled the situations exactly how their training dictated they should, and the result was a safe resolution in both cases."

DeSantis faces the following charges:

• Breaking and Entering a Building in the Nighttime for a Felony, Person in Fear
• Vandalizing Property (Two Counts)
• Breaking and Entering in the Nighttime for a Felony
• Disorderly Conduct (Two Counts)
• Arson of a Dwelling
• Disabling a Fire Alarm
• Larceny Under $1,200 (Three Counts)
• False Fire Alarm
• Possession of a Class B Drug (Three Counts)
• Possession of a Class C Drug (Two Counts)
• Malicious Destruction of Property Under $1,200
• Tampering With a Fire Call Box

DeSantis is being held pending a dangerousness hearing on Sept. 16.