MELROSE, MASS. (WHDH) - A man charged with attempted murder in Melrose was ordered held without bail Wednesday after he was arrested Tuesday driving a stolen car through Westborough.
John Ferreira, 54, is accused of sneaking into a Vinton Street apartment and brutally attacking his mother and sister over the weekend in a four-hour assault. Prosecutors said Ferreira used a saw to cut a hole in the wall and crawled into his sister’s apartment.
It’s alleged that Ferreira waited several hours until his sister came home, sprayed her in the eyes with bug spray, tried to strangle her with duct tape and then beat her with a rubber mallet
When Ferreira’s 81-year-old mother heard screams, prosecutors said he beat her too with the mallet as she tried to intervene. They said he then tied both of them up using duct tape and zip ties.
Ferreira wanted to kill himself, but first wanted to say goodbye to his dog, according to prosecutors. He fled the scene in a stolen red Toyota Corolla, police said.
Police caught Ferreira after a four-day manhunt when a police officer in Westborough spotted the stolen car behind a flea market. Officers said he was looking for a place to hide.
The vehicle fled as officers approached, but police were able to stop the car a short time later, and Ferreira was arrested.
Ferreira now faces several charges, including attempted murder. He again face a judge next week for a dangerousness hearing.
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