Stabbing suspect with ties to Island arrested

A suspect charged by police in two stabbing incidents in Braintree and Plymouth and now believed to be linked to a murder investigation in Connecticut has lived on Martha's Vineyard for several years.

The man, identified by police as Jared Ravizza, was arrested by Braintree police after he entered an AMC movie theater in Braintree on Saturday around 6 p.m., brandished a knife and assaulted four girls ages 9 to 17 years old, who were taken to hospital. with injuries that were described as not life-threatening.

Ravizza fled the scene in a black SUV, police said. One hour later State Police began receiving 911 calls reporting the stabbing of a man and woman in their 20s at the McDonald's inside the Park and Ride on Route 3 in Plymouth, and police say Ravizza was connected to both attacks.

Braintree police were able to obtain a license plate through surveillance video outside the AMC theater and Ravizza's vehicle was spotted by Massachusetts State Police who pursued him in a high-speed chase that ended in a car crash in Sandwich, located south of Plymouth.

CBS Affiliate WBZ News in Boston, reported that the mother of one of the girls injured in the Braintree attack described Ravizza as “laughing the whole time” while he carried out the unprovoked attack.

Police described him as wearing a trench coat and a blonde wig. But island residents who have known him through various interactions over the past three years said his long blond hair, as it appears in news reports of his arrest, is his. And the black SUV may be the same black Porsche SUV he frequently drove on the island.

Half a dozen island residents interviewed by The MV Times shared different fragments of Ravizza's life here on the island, ranging from several bizarre and hostile interactions in public places to his fondness for practicing yoga at the Yoga Barn. He was known for his long blonde hair, his penchant for wearing aviator sunglasses, and his frequent claims that he was a model in Los Angeles.

Island residents, all of whom asked that their names not be used out of fear for their safety, said Ravizza was quick to anger and often seemed unhinged. Two people reportedly contacted police about his behavior and their concerns about his ability to commit violence. West Tisbury Police Chief Matt Mincone said there was an “active case” on Ravizza when asked about an alleged restraining order, but referred the Times to the office of Cape and Islands District Attorney. Danielle Whitney, the DA's spokeswoman, was not immediately available for comment.

It's unclear exactly when he and a man who was frequently with him — and whom Ravizza introduced as his father — arrived on the island by renting property and claiming to have a long-standing connection to the community. It is also unclear whether the name he used, Jared Ravizza, was his real name or a fake identity. Dukes County court records show that on April 2, a motion was filed by Jared Ravizza Jones to change his name to Jared Jones. We don't know exactly where this case stands.

The MV Times published an article in December 2021 about a Jared Ravizza, who appears to be the same person. He described himself as a seasonal resident and claimed to run a charity called Ravizza Global Initiative. He told the reporter that he had been coming to the Cape and Islands for a long time since he was a child.

At the time, Ravizza was quoted in the article talking about his family's connection to the island, saying: “We spend a lot of time in Vineyard, Massachusetts, and I just want people to know how approachable I am…I also hope this story inspires someone to start their own initiative…maybe you are someone on the Vineyard and you want to start helping people,” he said. “For us, it’s not like a program. I consider it a movement, a lifestyle and an initiative that we carry out to change people's lives, to inspire them. It’s a lifelong bond, a lifelong relationship, being there, being a mentor.