Neighbors say stabbing suspect lost it after spitting on roommate

Lina PortmanMay 28, 2024

0 2 minutes read

The Martha's Vineyard man accused of stabbing six people in Massachusetts over the weekend was allegedly involved in a violent argument with neighbors just before, which resulted in him throwing a shovel through their window.

Jared Ravizza, 26, is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday on charges of assault with intent to murder and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Ravizza is accused of going on an unprovoked rampage Saturday night in which he randomly stabbed four girls in a movie theater before later attacking two McDonald's employees. He was taken into custody after allegedly leading police on a chase that ended with his Porsche crashing.

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Hours before this chaotic chain of events, Ravizza had collapsed when his Connecticut neighbors called the police on his roommate for allegedly trespassing on their property, according to the New York Post. The roommate, identified only as Bruce, lived with Ravizza in a house he rented in Deep River and was known for walking around the neighborhood with his pet poodle. But some neighbors said Bruce was sitting on their porch without permission, leading to police being called Saturday.

When Ravizza found out, he “picked up a shovel, went down to their house and threw it at their window,” neighbor Charlie Brashears told local news outlet WTNH. Another neighbor said the shovel went straight through the neighbor's window.

Police responding to the scene then found a body inside the rental home, believed to be that of Bruce. Connecticut State Police confirmed a death investigation was underway after the grim discovery, but they have not identified the deceased. However, they indicated that a suspect in the investigation had been arrested in Massachusetts.

“It’s like the strangest thing we’ve ever experienced,” Brashears said. “It's like Scorsese from the 1970s Taxi driver thing.”

Neighbors told Job they believed Bruce's poodle was also found dead inside the house, although authorities have not yet confirmed this.

Ravizza apparently moved to the neighborhood after being arrested on Martha's Vineyard in April for allegedly attacking his father. His father, Jason Ravizza, a psychologist, reportedly told police at the time that his son was suffering from a “mental break.” Officers noted in their report that the younger Ravizza had been “foaming” at the mouth talking about “absurd” things, including a series of conspiracy theories. They wanted a hospital to place him in involuntary detention and he was sent to Martha's Vineyard Hospital for a mental health evaluation, but he “did not meet their standards to be detained,” according to The Boston Globe.

Ravizza reportedly filed paperwork last month to officially change his name to Jared Love Jones. He has boasted about working as a model in the past, but presents himself as an artist on Instagram, where he has shared an endless selection of selfies and images that appear to be of his works.