Suspect in series of stabbings expected to be charged with murder by CT

A man suspected of committing a series of stabbings in Massachusetts over the weekend is expected to face charges in connection with a homicide in Deep River on Saturday.

Jared Ravizza, 26, of Chilmark, Massachusetts, appeared before a judge in Plymouth District Court on Tuesday after being apprehended over the weekend following a police chase that ended in a crash, according to Massachusetts State Police. The pursuit took place during investigations into stabbings at a McDonald's and a cinema involving a total of six victims, including four young girls, who were believed to be linked.

Ravizza faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with intent to murder in connection with the stabbing of two people at a McDonald's in Plymouth, Massachusetts, which was preceded by the movie theater stabbing and murder in Connecticut, officials said.

The bizarre and seemingly unprovoked series of events began to unfold when Connecticut State Police troopers responded to a home on Merriwold Lane in Deep River shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday on a report of of a disturbance. The police officers who responded learned that an individual approached the residence, threw a shovel through the glass of the front door and left.

Residents of the home recognized the individual as someone who resided nearby at a residence on Maritone Lane where a “noise disturbance” was heard before the incident involving the excavator, according to Connecticut State Police .

Officers went to the Maritone Lane home and found a man outside with visible injuries who was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was identified as Bruce Feldman, 70, of West Hartford.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Tuesday that Feldman died from stab wounds to the torso and head. His death was ruled a homicide.

According to Connecticut State Police, troopers learned Ravizza was at the Maritone Lane home in Deep River before the murder and was no longer there. Investigators reportedly found his belongings at the scene and witnesses provided a description consistent with his appearance, state police said.

Officers notified surrounding police departments of the murder as well as authorities in Massachusetts and provided a description of a vehicle associated with Ravizza.

Around 6 p.m., authorities in Braintree, Massachusetts, received reports of a quadruple stabbing at an AMC movie theater at 121 Grandview Ave., the Braintree Police Department said in a statement. Authorities learned the attacker entered the building and walked past the ticket window without paying before entering one of the theaters.

Inside the darkened theater, the attacker encountered four young girls and attacked and stabbed them “without any warning,” police said.

“The attack does not appear to have been provoked,” police wrote.

The attacker ran from the theater after the attack and left the scene in a vehicle, police said.

The four victims, aged 9 to 17, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Boston hospitals, police said.

Authorities investigating the stabbing were able to find CCTV footage of the black SUV the suspect left in as well as the vehicle's license plate. A description of the vehicle was sent to area police.

Shortly after 7 p.m., authorities received several 911 calls reporting a double stabbing at a McDonald's in Plymouth, Mass., at the Route 3 Park and Ride, Massachusetts State Police said in a statement. The victims, a 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man, suffered non-life-threatening stab wounds and were transported to area hospitals, police said.

Police were able to obtain a description of a vehicle linked to the McDonald's stabbing before locating the vehicle in Sandwich, Massachusetts, Massachusetts State Police said.

Massachusetts troopers attempted to stop the car, but the driver continued and eventually crashed, state police said.

Authorities identified the suspect as Ravizza, who was treated at an area hospital before his arraignment Tuesday.

Law enforcement agencies in Connecticut and Massachusetts said they believe the two stabbings and the murder are all connected.

Connecticut State Police said charges against Ravizza in the homicide “are pending.”

According to the Associated Press, Ravizza was arrested in April in Martha's Vineyard and charged with battery on a member of his family or household, as well as vandalism, after allegedly attacking his father. The town where Ravizza resides is located on the island.

Ravizza's father told police that Ravizza “just had a mental breakdown and attacked him” inside his home, the Associated Press reports.

Following the April incident, Ravizza was sent to Martha's Vineyard Hospital for a mental health evaluation, but “did not meet the standards to be detained there,” according to the Associated Press.

According to the description on her Instagram page, Ravizza identifies as “she” and as an “artist.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.