Friday, February 28, 2014

Using a Pickax to Cut Pizza in Quincy

Must have been the advertising....

"Man allegedly used pickax to rob Quincy Domino’s" by Catalina Gaitan |  Globe Correspondent, January 29, 2014

A Braintree man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge that he robbed a Quincy Domino’s Pizza while wearing a mask, smashing a pickax into a wall to intimidate employees.

John P. Waschela, 27, was arraigned in Quincy District Court on a charge of armed robbery while masked and was held on $25,000 cash bail. Waschela’s bail was revoked on two open cases, including a larceny charge from 2013, because of the new arrest. He is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing on Feb. 27, a clerk said.

Waschela was arrested at about 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to Quincy police Captain John Dougan.

“Braintree police got a tip there was a stolen car in front of his house yesterday, and when we checked on him, we got a tip that he was at Quincy [Medical Center] for a medical condition,” Dougan said. “When he was medically clear, we brought him in.”

The search for Waschela began after Quincy police received reports of an armed robbery at a Domino’s on Hancock Street at 1:10 a.m. Sunday.

Waschela entered the store wearing a mask and carrying a pickax, and said, “I want the register,” police said. When the manager said he would call the police, Waschela allegedly smashed the pickax into the wall and said, “I’m serious.”

The manager opened the register, and Waschela began removing cash, eventually pulling the entire money tray from the machine, Dougan said.

Waschela then got into a red Mercury Mountaineer and was last seen driving south on Hancock Street, police said. The manager and two other employees inside the store during the robbery were not injured, Dougan said.

--more--"