Nov 7, 2007 7:42 pm US/Eastern
Pawn Shop Worker Helps Nab Suspected Cop Killer
HOLLYWOOD (CBS4) ―
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Michael Mazza, 40, was arrested at Uptown Pawn and Jewelry in
Hollywood shortly after noon, about four hours after Deputy
Paul Rein was slain, Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said.
BSO/CBS
The tri-county manhunt for prisoner suspected of killing a Broward Sheriff's deputy ends with a phone call from a pawn shop manager in Hollywood.
40-year old Michael Mazza was taken into custody just after noon on Wednesday.
"Mazza was arrested at Uptown Pawn and Jewelry in 6020 Hollywood Blvd., shortly after noon, about five hours after Deputy Paul Rein was slain," Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti said.
Scott Kelly, the manager of the pawn shop on Hollywood Boulevard told
CBS4 that a customer came in and realized that Michael Mazza was in his car and that it was the guy police were looking for.
"Basically I'm the manager of the pawnshop, a customer came in, I had the TV of course with the broadcast on everybody looking for Michael Mazza and they guy came in and said 'ohh my gosh that's the guy, he is out in my car right now,'" said Kelly. "The guy said he didn't realize his passenger was the fugitive everybody was looking for until he saw his picture on a TV in the pawnshop."
Kelly said the customer said he picked up Mazza near Downtown Hollywood and Dixie Highway.
Kelly said the customer was not a taxi driver and just seemed like regular guy. He said the man came in wanting to buy some speakers and as he looked up at the television he realized Mazza was the guy police were looking for in connection with the death of deputy Rein.
Kelly ran to the window to confirm that Mazza was in the customer's car.
"And then I ran, I walked up to the window and I looked and I confirmed the suspicion that it was Michael Mazza. The guy matched perfectly, the faces matched up perfectly, the eyebrows, the hair, just everything," explained Kelly.
The customer and Kelly then called 911.
Officials said Mazza was arrested at the pawn shop about four hours after Deputy Paul Rein was killed in Pompano Beach. Mazza was found with Rein's weapon. Police surrounded him in the parking lot, not giving him any chance for escape.
According to BSO, 76-year old Deputy Paul Rein, was shot by Mazza while being transported to court. Rein died after arriving at the hospital.
Lamberti said Deputy Paul Rein was a 20-year veteran of the department's transport division.
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