Hyde Park Man Arraigned in Homicide

BOSTON, September 2, 2022—A man charged with running over 39-year-old Thomas Ruffen, causing his death, District Attorney Kevin Hayden said.

MAXIMO MAZANETT, 54, of Hyde Park was arraigned today in the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court on a charge of murder.  At the request of Assistant District Attorney Mark Zanini, Judge David Breen set bail in the amount of $250,000.  Breen also ordered Mazanett to surrender his passport, not drive any motor vehicle and have no contact with any witness while his case is pending.

Zanini told the court that security footage captured Ruffen as he walked from his Jackson Square residence toward Columbus Avenue at approximately 4:30 a.m. yesterday.  He began have difficulty walking and repeatedly fell.  He lay down in the street in front of an intersection.  The operator of a bus observed Ruffen lying on the right lane of roadway and came to a stop in the center lane.  A 2011 Ford Explorer driven by Mazanett came to a stop immediately in front of Ruffen’s body.  Witnesses made statements to Mazanett that there was a person on the ground in front of his vehicle.  Despite his knowledge that the victim was directly in front of his vehicle, prosecutors allege that Mazanett reversed his vehicle several feet, waited for the light to turn green and then drove over the victim’s body.  The vehicle dragged the victim across four lanes.  Mazanett again stopped his vehicle on the other side of the intersection, with the victim’s body beneath his vehicle. 

Boston EMS personnel responded to the scene and pronounced the victim deceased.

“The decisions made by this defendant are so heartless and pitiless they’re difficult to comprehend. Instead of waiting for an unusual roadway situation to be resolved he made the decision to drive forward, knowing full well the consequences involved. That unfathomable action ended the victim’s life and dramatically altered his own,” Hayden said.

Elise McConnell served as the victim witness advocate during today’s proceeding.  The case returns to court September 14

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal legal system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.

  James Borghesani, Chief of Communications