REVERE, MASS. (WHDH) - Police in Revere said a suspect fleeing officers late Tuesday night crashed his van into a backyard swimming pool and took off on foot following an attempted robbery in Everett.
Gianni Mazza, 42, of Peabody, pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to commit a crime and resisting arrest at his arraignment Wednesday in Malden District Court.
Authorities said Mazza was wanted in connection with an armed robbery at a convenience store in Everett.
Mazza, armed with a gun and decked out in all black, hopped the counter at the Fine Mart, but was beaten back by a clerk wielding a chair.
“I was scared. Anytime people pull a gun on you, you’re scared,” said Kiet Ngo.
Mazza ran from the store and the clerk chased him down the street with baseball bat.
“The officer with the cruiser saw me with the baseball bat. He thought I tried to hurt someone,” Ngo said. “He drew the gun on me, told me to drop the bat. I told him officer, I chase after the robber.”
Police said they spotted the suspect’s van, who drove down a dead end street where he crashed through a fence and into the pool. Police said he ran from the scene but was apprehended just after midnight Wednesday hiding behind an oil company in Revere.
Police said Mazza topped speeds of 70 mph and ran several stop signs during the chase.
“I heard a big bang, looked out my window, saw the fence down and I saw a guy get out and run. By the time I got to the door, he was gone,” said Linda Veraldi who witnessed the scene unfold.
Mazza was taken to the hospital for an evaluation before being turned over to Everett police.
At the courthouse, Mazza’s wife said he recently relapsed on drugs and feared something bad would happen.
A judge ordered Mazza held on $100,000 bail. He at least three prior robbery convictions on his record.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)