PLYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - The Martha’s Vineyard man who allegedly went on a stabbing spree on the South Shore Saturday will be held at Bridgewater State Hospital for 20 days for evaluation.
Authorities say Jared Ravizza, 26, of Chilmark, stabbed four girls at a movie theater in Braintree on Saturday before stabbing two further at a fast food restaurant off Route 3 in Plymouth. Ravizza was taken into custody after crashing his Porsche in Sandwich.
“He’s evidencing signs and symptoms of an active psychotic illness,” said psychologist Dr. Kimberly Bistis, who evaluated Ravizza Tuesday. “Given the extreme delusional nature of his beliefs, he does not demonstrate the rational capacity to work with his attorney on behalf of his own defense.”
Bistis said some of these beliefs include his family being involved with organized crime.
Officials confirmed Ravizza is also connected to the investigation of a murder earlier Saturday in Deep River, Connecticut.
For the Plymouth incident, Ravizza was arraigned on one count of armed assault to murder, two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and one count of indecent exposure. Braintree Police received on arrest warrant for Ravizza out of Quincy District Court for four counts of assault to murder and four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. As of Tuesday, charges in Connecticut were still pending.
Ravizza is being held without bail and is expected to return to court in a few weeks’ time.
A death in Connecticut
Connecticut State Police responded to a disturbance at a home on Merriwold Lane in Deep River just after 3:30 p.m. Saturday. According to their investigation, “a suspect approached the residence […], threw a shovel through the front door window pane and then left.”
The residents who notified police told authorities they recognized the suspect as someone who had recently been staying on nearby Maritone Lane, where witnesses said “an audible disturbance was heard” earlier in the day. Upon arriving at the Maritone Lane address, the trooper discovered “an adult male with visible injuries, outdoors”; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was identified as Bruce Feldman, 70, of West Hartford, Connecticut.
Troopers said they “soon learned that a second individual had been “developed information indicating that a second individual, who was no longer at the scene, had been present” at the scene: Ravizza.
“Personal items belonging to Ravizza were located at the scene and witnesses provided a description consistent with that of Ravizza,” police said.
Authorities next notified surrounding agencies in Connecticut and law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts of the incident, as well as Ravizza’s vehicle description.
‘Completely senseless and random’
Just a few hours after Connecticut State Police first learned something was wrong in Deep River, police in Braintree responded to a scary scene at a movie theater.
Authorities responded to the AMC movie theater on Grandview Road, across from the South Shore Plaza, around 6:20 p.m., following report of multiple stabbings. An investigation determined that at about 6 p.m., a male, believed to be Ravizza, entered the multiplex, walked past the ticket counter, and entered one of the theaters without paying, according to police.
There, four girls were stabbed: 9-year-old twins, their 17-year-old sister, and another 17-year-old girl. Are four all expected to survive, according to police.
“This crime appears to be completely senseless and random, perpetrated against entirely defenseless, innocent children,” Braintree police said in a statement.
Lisa Dembrowski, the mother of three of the victims, said the girls had just sat down for the movie when the attack occurred.
“He came up behind them, my oldest was leaned over to get something, he got her in the back, my other daughter in the chest and another across the arm, laughing the whole time,” she said, adding the girls are “shaken up.”
“Physically fine, I think kids are resilient, I think they’re terrified that they can go to a movie on a Saturday night and someone can just walk in and do this,” she said.
A spokesperson for AMC addressed the stabbing at the AMC in Braintree in a statement Monday, saying “The welfare of our guests and associates is AMC’s top priority, and we are saddened by this senseless act of violence.”
Noonan said a visible security presence will be in place at the Braintree AMC “for the immediate future.”
Ravizza fled the scene before authorities arrived.
Fast food fright
Less than an hour later, police in Plymouth received several 911 calls reporting a stabbing at McDonald’s in the Route 3 rest area.
“Upon arrival, emergency medical personnel located a 21 year-old female victim with a knife laceration and she was transported to South Shore Hospital,” Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said in a statement. “A second male victim, aged 28, was transported to Beth Israel Deaconess-Plymouth Hospital for a laceration from a knife.”
In Plymouth District Court on Tuesday, Ravizza was flanked by guards while prosecutors laid out the timeline of events, including the attack at the Plymouth McDonald’s.
“When he got up in the drive-thru window, he was argumentative with a male employee,” a prosecutor said. “The defendant lunged out the window of his vehicle and stabbed the male employee in the forearm with what appeared to be a large kitchen knife. He then parked his vehicle, entered the store and proceeded behind the counter where he stabbed a female employee in the back of her upper left arm.”
The first Plymouth McDonald’s employee who was stabbed told 7NEWS he is doing OK.
The employee, Igor Marques, helped police identify Ravizza. Asked if he feels like a hero, he responded — “I’m not a hero.”
“I’m fine,” he said.
Crashing to an end
A witness at the restaurant had noted the car’s license plate number, which they reported to police, who determined that it was a black 2018 Porsche Macan registered to Ravizza.
Police issued an alert for the Porsche, which, shortly later, crashed and went up in flames in Sandwich.
Ravizza was taken into custody at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, ending the hours-long, multi-state, violent cat and mouse game.
The investigations remain ongoing. Ravizza is expected to be arraigned on the charges stemming from the Braintree incident in Quincy District Court at a later date. Criminal charges are pending in Connecticut.
Separately speaking on Tuesday, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said his focus is on the victims.
“We need to make sure that we stand up for the victims here, for the children and for the other individuals who have been hurt unnecessarily and their lives were put in danger,” Cruz said.
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
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