Three of the four girls who were stabbed while waiting to watch a movie at a theater in Massachusetts are siblings, and their mother spoke with NewsCenter 5 to share her daughters' harrowing experience.Police said a man stabbed four girls between the ages of 9 and 17 years old during an unprovoked attack at the AMC Braintree 10 at 121 Grandview Ave. at about 6 p.m. Saturday.Lisa Dembowski said her three daughters and one of their friends were the victims of the Braintree stabbing."I got a call from my sister that my oldest daughter had called her (and) that I needed to get to the AMC movie theater right away because they had been stabbed," Dembowski said. "Honestly, I just got in my car and headed right there."Dembowski said that when she arrived at the AMC, police officers met her and took her inside to see her daughters."The movie theater was still open and people were, like, buying tickets and it was just as if ... it was crazy to me that that was what was still going on," she said.Dembowski said her daughters then explained what happened to them shortly after they sat down to watch the movie "IF.""So they were the only four people in this movie theater. They had just sat down. They had just got their concessions," she said. "I guess he came up behind them in the row — they were in the second row — and he came up behind them. My oldest was leaned over to get something. He got her in the back and then my other daughter in the top of the chest. Then, my last daughter across her arm — laughing the whole time — and then got their friend and then ran off."Dembowski said her oldest daughter and her friend then chased the suspect outside and that they were the ones who had to call police."They told the people at AMC. They, AMC, didn't believe them. Didn't do anything, actually," Dembowski said.Braintree police said all four girls who were stabbed suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Boston area hospitals for treatment.Dembowski said her daughters were transported to Boston Medical Center due to the nature of their wounds and that they were evaluated by trauma teams. She also said her daughters' friend had already been taken out of the AMC to receive medical treatment by the time she arrived at the movie theater.According to Dembowski, her daughters are physically fine but they have been shaken up by the incident."You know, kids are resilient but I think they are terrified that they could just go to a movie on a Saturday night and this could happen," Dembowski said. "Someone could just walk into a movie theater and do this with no knowledge of who they were. We have no idea who this person is." Dembowski said her daughters expressed that they never want to go to the movies again. She added that her two younger daughters are handling a little bit better because her oldest daughter is very protective of them."She is just more worried just in general about them and how they're going to be doing," Dembowski said. "She had to protect them and deal with it all and make the calls to the police, and make the calls to us. Everything that adults should be doing, she was doing. She had to tell the AMC people to get her a room in the back for the kids, just to try to get them out of the lobby where everyone was and all of that stuff."I give her an enormous amount of credit because, in my mind, she is what kept everyone calm and her and her friend kept the two little ones completely calm," Dembowski continued to say about her older daughter. "I'm very proud of her."Braintree police said the stabbing suspect was able to proceed past the ticket counter without paying and entered one of the theaters."I mean, someone should be able to show a ticket to go in there. Someone shouldn't be able to just walk in anyway, first of all," Dembowski said. "You can't live in your homes, but more and more, this is happening and it makes parents sick to bring their kids anywhere or let them go anywhere without them. I absolutely feel that way."According to Braintree police, the suspect was seen on video leaving the area in what appeared to be a black SUV and authorities were able to capture a license plate number from that footage.Braintree police said a vehicle matching a description of the suspect vehicle was involved in a similar assault in Plymouth on Saturday, pursued by Massachusetts State Police troopers and ultimately crashed in Sandwich.Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz identified the suspect in the Plymouth stabbing as 26-year-old Jared Ravizza, a resident of the Martha's Vineyard town of Chilmark.Cruz also said Ravizza was taken into custody in Sandwich and his arrest followed a day of multiple South Shore stabbing incidents, which Ravizza was accused of carrying out.State police said the stabbings in Plymouth and Braintree are likely connected. "I hope he gets what he deserves," Dembowski said. "I mean, I understand mental health. I'm a counselor. I understand it. I think it's a pretty sick individual to harm children."The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said the suspect is being treated at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. He will likely be arraigned Tuesday in Plymouth District Court on charges connected to the stabbing of a 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man that happened inside the McDonald's restaurant at the Route 3 South service plaza in Plymouth.At the end of her interview with NewsCenter 5, Dembowski expressed her gratitude to the police officers and emergency medical technicians who helped keep her and her daughters calm."They had all the information. They took control of the situation. I mean, I know they're trained to do this, but they were so empathetic and so kind," she said.Dembowski also thanked the trauma team and nurses at Boston Medical Center, as well as the social workers and violence prevention personnel who spoke with her and her children.
BRAINTREE, Mass. —
Three of the four girls who were stabbed while waiting to watch a movie at a theater in Massachusetts are siblings, and their mother spoke with NewsCenter 5 to share her daughters' harrowing experience.
Police said a man stabbed four girls between the ages of 9 and 17 years old during an unprovoked attack at the AMC Braintree 10 at 121 Grandview Ave. at about 6 p.m. Saturday.
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Lisa Dembowski said her three daughters and one of their friends were the victims of the Braintree stabbing.
"I got a call from my sister that my oldest daughter had called her (and) that I needed to get to the AMC movie theater right away because they had been stabbed," Dembowski said. "Honestly, I just got in my car and headed right there."
Dembowski said that when she arrived at the AMC, police officers met her and took her inside to see her daughters.
"The movie theater was still open and people were, like, buying tickets and it was just as if ... it was crazy to me that that was what was still going on," she said.
Dembowski said her daughters then explained what happened to them shortly after they sat down to watch the movie "IF."
"So they were the only four people in this movie theater. They had just sat down. They had just got their concessions," she said. "I guess he came up behind them in the row — they were in the second row — and he came up behind them. My oldest was leaned over to get something. He got her in the back and then my other daughter in the top of the chest. Then, my last daughter across her arm — laughing the whole time — and then got their friend and then ran off."
Dembowski said her oldest daughter and her friend then chased the suspect outside and that they were the ones who had to call police.
"They told the people at AMC. They, AMC, didn't believe them. Didn't do anything, actually," Dembowski said.
Hearst Owned
Braintree police said all four girls who were stabbed suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Boston area hospitals for treatment.
Dembowski said her daughters were transported to Boston Medical Center due to the nature of their wounds and that they were evaluated by trauma teams. She also said her daughters' friend had already been taken out of the AMC to receive medical treatment by the time she arrived at the movie theater.
According to Dembowski, her daughters are physically fine but they have been shaken up by the incident.
"You know, kids are resilient but I think they are terrified that they could just go to a movie on a Saturday night and this could happen," Dembowski said. "Someone could just walk into a movie theater and do this with no knowledge of who they were. We have no idea who this person is."
Dembowski said her daughters expressed that they never want to go to the movies again. She added that her two younger daughters are handling a little bit better because her oldest daughter is very protective of them.
"She is just more worried just in general about them and how they're going to be doing," Dembowski said. "She had to protect them and deal with it all and make the calls to the police, and make the calls to us. Everything that adults should be doing, she was doing. She had to tell the AMC people to get her a room in the back for the kids, just to try to get them out of the lobby where everyone was and all of that stuff.
"I give her an enormous amount of credit because, in my mind, she is what kept everyone calm and her and her friend kept the two little ones completely calm," Dembowski continued to say about her older daughter. "I'm very proud of her."
Hearst Owned
Braintree police said the stabbing suspect was able to proceed past the ticket counter without paying and entered one of the theaters.
"I mean, someone should be able to show a ticket to go in there. Someone shouldn't be able to just walk in anyway, first of all," Dembowski said. "You can't live in your homes, but more and more, this is happening and it makes parents sick to bring their kids anywhere or let them go anywhere without them. I absolutely feel that way."
According to Braintree police, the suspect was seen on video leaving the area in what appeared to be a black SUV and authorities were able to capture a license plate number from that footage.
Braintree police said a vehicle matching a description of the suspect vehicle was involved in a similar assault in Plymouth on Saturday, pursued by Massachusetts State Police troopers and ultimately crashed in Sandwich.
Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz identified the suspect in the Plymouth stabbing as 26-year-old Jared Ravizza, a resident of the Martha's Vineyard town of Chilmark.
Cruz also said Ravizza was taken into custody in Sandwich and his arrest followed a day of multiple South Shore stabbing incidents, which Ravizza was accused of carrying out.
State police said the stabbings in Plymouth and Braintree are likely connected.
"I hope he gets what he deserves," Dembowski said. "I mean, I understand mental health. I'm a counselor. I understand it. I think it's a pretty sick individual to harm children."
Man stabs 4 girls inside Braintree AMC movie theater, 2 McDonald's workers at Plymouth rest area, authorities say
The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said the suspect is being treated at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. He will likely be arraigned Tuesday in Plymouth District Court on charges connected to the stabbing of a 21-year-old woman and a 29-year-old man that happened inside the McDonald's restaurant at the Route 3 South service plaza in Plymouth.
At the end of her interview with NewsCenter 5, Dembowski expressed her gratitude to the police officers and emergency medical technicians who helped keep her and her daughters calm.
"They had all the information. They took control of the situation. I mean, I know they're trained to do this, but they were so empathetic and so kind," she said.
Dembowski also thanked the trauma team and nurses at Boston Medical Center, as well as the social workers and violence prevention personnel who spoke with her and her children.
