Massachusetts

Robbery Suspect Held on $100K Bail After Fleeing Police, Crashing Van Into Pool

What to Know

  • Gianni Mazza, 42, of Peabody, is facing charges of armed robbery while masked, failure to stop for police and other motor vehicle violations
  • Police said an Everett store employee said Mazza tried robbing him before Mazza fled in a van, which he crashed into an Everett pool
  • Mazza then fled the Everett backyard, leading police on another chase. He was eventually caught behind the Global Oil on Lee Burbank Highway

An armed robbery suspect faced a judge after allegedly leading police on a late-night car chase through two Massachusetts towns that resulted in him crashing his vehicle into a swimming pool.

Gianni Mazza, 42, of Peabody, walked into Malden District Court on Wednesday morning, limping, visibly bruised and wearing a hospital gown at his arraignment, where he was ordered held on $100,000 bail on charges of armed robbery while masked, failure to stop for police and various other motor vehicle violations. 

On Tuesday night, Everett police said two officers were patrolling the Elm Street area at about 9:45 p.m. when an employee of Fine Mart Store began chasing a suspect down Springdale Avenue on foot. The employee told police the suspect showed a firearm and demanded money but he was able to fight him off before chasing him out of the store.

The suspect, later identified as Mazza, then fled the scene in a white van.

The van was pursued into Revere by the officers, where Mazza eventually crashed through a fence and landed in a backyard swimming pool on Butler Avenue. He then took off on foot.

"I heard a bang and saw a hole in my father's fence," said witness Linda Veraldi.

"Nobody got hurt, that's the good thing," she added. "We can fix the pool, fix the fence."

After a massive police search of the area, Mazza was eventually taken into custody around 12:15 a.m. Wednesday behind the Global Oil on Lee Burbank Highway, about a mile away from the crash scene.

Police said a replica firearm was recovered from Mazza's van.

Everett's police chief called this incident a desperate act and added his department sees more of these incidents during the holiday season.

It's unclear if Mazza is being represented by an attorney or when his next court appearance is.

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