Springfield grocery store break-in leads to one arrest

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Springfield Police have arrested one person they say broke into a grocery store on Friday morning, after a brief foot chase in which they were able to track him down thanks to his use of a flashlight and shedding of his clothes.

Miguel Rivera, 36, of Springfield is being charged with breaking and entering, following the incident in the North End.

Police Sgt. John Delaney told 22News that around 1:00 A.M., the burglar alarms inside the Sweet Life Foods store on Avocado Street went off.

Delaney says that police in the area arrived quickly, and began chasing Rivera, who they saw breaking into the store.

Though it was dark outside, police were able to easily track Rivera, because Delaney says he was carrying a flashlight as he ran. He also began removing his clothes, leaving a trail down to the nearby Connecticut River.

"At the river bank, the breaker had nowhere to go but the water... it was very cold... he gave up," wrote Delaney in a release to 22News.

In addition to his arrest for the Sweet Life break in, Rivera was also arrested on a default warrant for breaking and entering.