By ERIC GOLDSCHEIDER
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Contributing Writer
NORTHAMPTON — Two Springfield men were arrested by Massachusetts State Police Saturday — one after a more than two-hour chase through the woods in Northampton and Easthampton with search dogs — in connection with a house break at Norwich Lake in Huntington.
Arrested were Angel V. Villanueva, 37, and Gamaliel Nazario, 33, who were taken to the state police barracks in Russell.
They are scheduled to be arraigned in Northampton District Court tomorrow on charges of breaking and entering in the daytime for felony larceny from a building, possession of burglary tools, and malicious destruction of property over $250, according to a statement issued by state police.
Following the report of the burglary at a home at Norwich Lake around 12:30 p.m., police were alerted to be on the lookout for a red Chevrolet Tracker with Connecticut license plates. Police stopped the SUV in the driveway of the parsonage of the United Christ Methodist Church at 275 Rocky Hill Road, Route 66, around 1 p.m., according to state police.
According to State Police Lt. Daniel Richard, both suspects began running away while being questioned by Northampton Police. Richard said police stopped one of the men immediately, but the other one took off into the woods. He was apprehended more than two hours later in the meadows area of Easthampton near Lovefield Street.
State Police, including a helicopter, and officers from Northampton, Hadley and Easthampton, along with canine units from the University of Massachusetts, conducted the search within a perimeter of several miles, said Northampton Police Lt. Craig Kirouac.
Richard said police were alerted to the break-in by a call from Norwich Lake neighbors reporting that they had seen what appeared to be items stolen from a house in a vehicle taking off from the area.
He said the two men face a malicious destruction charge because “they broke something at the house, or later something they stole.”
Douglas Williams, who lives at 286 Rocky Hill Road, said he noticed a commotion soon after the SUV was spotted.
“I saw three cruisers go by one right after the other and then all of a sudden there were a bunch of police racing up and down the road,” he said.
A woman, who was gardening at the church behind the parsonage said the residence where the SUV was stopped is currently uninhabited.
A truck from Florence Towing was called to remove the SUV.
Gazette reporter Laurie Loisel contributed to this story.
