A Martha’s Vineyard man accused of stabbing sprees at a movie theater and a McDonald’s in Massachusetts over the weekend is now a suspect in a homicide investigation in Deep River, Connecticut.
Jared Ravizza, 26, of Chilmark, Massachusetts, appeared in Plymouth District Court on Tuesday wearing a green jail jumpsuit. He was charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to murder, and indecent exposure in relation to the stabbings of two McDonald’s employees on Saturday.
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He is set to be arraigned later Tuesday in Quincy District Court on four counts of assault with intent to murder, assault, and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the stabbings of four girls at an AMC movie theater just an hour before the McDonald’s attack.
Ravizza undergoes a court-ordered assessment to determine his competency to stand trial. Judge Shelby Smith ordered an examination before setting his bail.
According to prosecutors, Ravizza’s rampage began at 6 p.m. Saturday when he entered the AMC Braintree 10 without paying and stabbed numerous ladies “without saying anything and without any warning” before fleeing the scene, according to a news release from the Braintree Police Department.
Hospitals received the four girls, ages nine to seventeen, after they sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Ravizza’s rampage resumed about an hour later, 27 miles south of the theater, when his black Porsche was caught on surveillance tape exiting a McDonald’s following another stabbing, according to the district attorney’s office.
Prosecutors allege Ravizza “briefly stepped out of the vehicle and publicly urinated” outside the McDonald’s.
Ravizza approached the drive-thru window and became angry with a male employee. Ravizza reportedly jumped out of the car’s window and stabbed the worker in the forearm with what seemed to be a long kitchen knife, the prosecution claimed.
According to a police affidavit, Ravizza ordered dinner and yelled at him to “check the bag” before paying for it. The staff took the goods and returned them to the bag. He claimed Ravizza tried to steal the bag, and as the employee pushed it back, Ravizza pulled out a knife and attacked him.
The prosecutor stated that Ravizza then parked his car, entered McDonald’s, and proceeded behind the counter. Ravizza then allegedly stabbed a female employee in the back of the upper left arm. Both personnel were transported to hospitals and are currently in stable condition.
Ravizza was captured after a police pursuit through the Cape Cod town of Sandwich. Ravizza crashed, and the automobile caught fire, according to the prosecution.
Shortly after Ravizza’s initial court appearance on Saturday, Connecticut State Police announced that they were investigating the same Jared Ravizza in the death of Bruce Feldman, a West Hartford man whose corpse was discovered at a home in Deep River on Saturday.
According to police, someone on Merriwold Lane reported that a man, later identified as Ravizza, threw a shovel through their front door. The individual was identified as a male who had stayed at a nearby property on Maritone Lane.
When officers arrived at the house, they discovered the death of Bruce Feldman, age 70.
Police discovered Ravizza’s belongings at the Maritone Lane home, and his look matched witnesses’ accounts.
Neighbors informed local news outlet WTNH that Bruce had been sleeping with Ravizza at the Deep River property and was known to go around with his pet poodle, occasionally sitting on the neighbors’ porches without permission.
According to neighbor Charlie Brashears, Ravizza “picked up a shovel, went down to their house, and threw it at their window” when he saw the initial police call for the “disturbance.”
“This is like the weirdest stuff we’ve been around,” Brashears continued. “This is like 1970s Scorsese Taxi Driver stuff.”
Neighbors told the New York Post that they suspected Bruce’s poodle had also been found dead inside the house, but investigators have yet to confirm this.
The police said the investigation into Deep River is active and ongoing.
According to court documents, Ravizza moved to the neighborhood after serving a jail sentence on Martha’s Vineyard in April for allegedly assaulting his father.
Ravizza’s father, Jason Ravizza, a psychotherapist, allegedly told cops at the time that his son “had just had a mental break and attacked him” inside his home, according to the police report.
According to the article, Ravizza was charged with assault and battery on a family or household member, as well as vandalism, and was “frothing” at the mouth while discussing “nonsensical” topics, including a string of conspiracy theories.
Ravizza, a self-described artist and social media influencer, posts a variety of selfies on his 218,000-follower Instagram account.
According to the Martha’s Vineyard Times, he is well-known for his trademark long blond hair, aviator sunglasses, and frequent assertions that he was a model in Los Angeles.
In 2021, the former Martha’s Vineyard resident claimed to manage a charitable organization called Ravizza Global Initiative.
“We spend a lot of time on the Vineyard in Massachusetts, and I want people to know how accessible I am.” I also hope that this story will inspire someone to start their own initiative,” he told the Martha’s Vineyard Times, characterizing the area, which is home to many wealthy celebrities, politicians, and socialites.
“To us, it’s not like a program. I see it as a movement and lifestyle. It’s a lifelong connection, relationship, and being present as a mentor.”
According to several locals, Ravizza had a reputation on the island for strange and confrontational interactions in public places, was quick to react, and frequently appeared unbalanced.
