The man accused of stabbing four young girls at a Braintree movie theater and two McDonald’s employees in Plymouth during Saturday’s brazen string of violence is slated to be arraigned Tuesday morning on a slew of charges.
[ ‘Terrified’: Mother of girls stabbed in Braintree theater says suspect was laughing during attack ]
Jared Ravizza, a 26-year-old resident of Chilmark on Martha’s Vineyard, was arrested after allegedly leading police on a chase down to Cape Cod, Plymouth Country District Attorney Tim Cruz said. Following a fiery crash in Sandwich, Ravizza was taken into custody and transported to South Shore Hospital, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
A DA spokesperson confirmed Ravizza was released from the hospital Monday and is being held without bail at the State Police Bourne barracks. He will appear in Plymouth District Court on Tuesday to face charges including assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the Plymouth stabbing. Charges in connection with the Braintree attack have not been announced.
New video shared with Boston 25 News showed state troopers escorting Ravizza into an awaiting cruiser for transport to court.
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A law enforcement source tells Boston 25 that Ravizza is also being investigated for his connection to a death in Connecticut earlier Saturday before he drove to the South Shore.
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DEATH INVESTIGATION IN CONNECTICUT - 3:30 P.M.
While Massachusetts State Police would not confirm, a law enforcement source tells Boston 25 that Ravizza was wanted in connection with a death investigation that began in Deep River, a small town just a few miles from the eastern Connecticut coast and around 120 miles away from Braintree.
Connecticut State Police responded to an address around 3:36 p.m. Saturday for a reported disturbance. Arriving officers found a deceased individual, who has yet to be identified.
A suspect in the investigation was taken into custody in Massachusetts, Connecticut State Police noted Saturday evening. They did not identify the suspect as Ravizza.
Neighbors like Charlie Brashears were shocked to see an active crime scene in the sleepy town.
“Many many many police cars showed up and they barricaded, first looked like a little bit of an ambush down there,” said Brashears. “They had both the cars backed up into two of my neighbors, and they were on the hoods, I don’t know if they had guns or not but they were on the hoods, then eventually they just barricaded the area.”
Brashears told Boston 25 affiliate Fox61 that the suspect and a man had been renting a house in the neighborhood but could be heard having loud arguments a few days ago.
“It’s hard to wrap your brain around it,” Brashears said.
STABBING AT BRAINTREE MOVIE THEATER- 6:00 P.M.
Around 6:00 p.m. Ravizza allegedly entered the AMC Braintree 10, walked past the ticket counter, and entered one of the theaters, Braintree police said. Inside the auditorium, “without saying anything and without warning” he allegedly stabbed and attacked three sisters and their friend, ranging in age from 9-years-old to 17-years-old.
Lisa Dembowski said her three daughters and a friend went to see the movie “IF” when they were attacked.
“Shaken up, they are physically fine I think they are, kids are resilient but I think they are terrified,” said Dembowski.
She said the four kids were the only ones in the theater when the suspect came up behind them. Dembowski said her oldest daughter was leaning forward when she was stabbed.
[ ‘Terrified’: Mother of girls stabbed in Braintree theater says suspect was laughing during attack ]
“He got her in the back and then my other daughter in the top chest and then my last daughter across her arm, laughing the whole time and then got their friend and ran off,” she said.
The four young girls were taken to Boston area hospitals to be treated for their non-life-threatening wounds.
Braintree police officers and detectives reviewed surveillance footage that showed the suspect racing off from the area in a black SUV. Police were able to capture Ravizza’s license plate and share the information with other Massachusetts law enforcement agencies.
In a statement sent Monday an AMC spokesperson said “The welfare of our guests and associates is AMC’s top priority, and we are saddened by this senseless act of violence. We are heartened to learn the victims are recovering, and we are reaching out to their families privately.”
“At all of our locations, AMC has multiple security features and procedures in place, the specifics of which we do not disclose or discuss publicly. We have already begun to conduct a thorough review of this incident. Based on theatre associate accounts and video footage, the theatre team jumped into action immediately, calling emergency services and administering aid to the victims.”
STABBING AT PLYMOUTH MCDONALD’S - 7:00 p.m.
Around an hour later, Massachusetts State Police said they responded to the McDonald’s at the Route 3 rest area for a reported stabbing.
Surveillance video from just after 7:00 p.m. shows Ravizza reaching through the McDonald’s drive-thru window, stabbing a 28-year-old male employee with a large knife, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said Sunday.
Ravizza then allegedly parked his black Porsche, went inside the McDonald’s and stabbed a second employee, a 21-year-old woman.
Cruz says the suspect then drove away in the Porsche but a witness inside the restaurant was able to report the car’s license plate to investigators, who determined the vehicle, a 2018 Macan, belonged to Ravizza.
The injured man was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth while the woman was transported to South Shore Hospital, Cruz said. Both employees’ injuries are considered to be non-life-threatening.
A McDonald’s spokesperson said in a statement on Monday, “we are shocked and devastated by this senseless act of violence. The safety of our crew and customers is always our top priority. We are grateful to law enforcement for their quick response in protecting our Cape Cod communities and will continue to assist them in their investigation.”
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CRASH, ARREST IN SANDWICH- 7:15 p.m.
State police cruisers picked up the chase as the suspect raced away from the plaza. The vehicle crashed in Sandwich and Ravizza was taken into custody at 7:15 p.m., Cruz said.
Photos shared with Boston 25 News showed the suspected Porsche blackened and charred on Cotuit Road after catching on fire following the crash.
Ravizza is currently being held at South Shore Hospital while he is treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Ravizza will be arraigned in Plymouth District Court Tuesday on charges of assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the Plymouth stabbing, Cruz says.
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