Patrons Stop Rampage At Puzzles

For many people in New Bedford, Mass., it was another night of fun at the bars. But according to police, Jacob D. Robida had very different plans. They say the 18-year-old man, dressed all in black, walked into Puzzles, a bar popular with the local gay community and ordered a drink. Then police say the man asked the bartender if the place was a "gay bar," to which he answered yes.

Police say right after midnight Robida ordered another drink and that's when his violent tendencies got the best of him. According to police, the teenager walked towards the pool table and started swinging a hatchet. One man tried to stop him, but suffered deep cuts in the head. Other bar costumers tried to prevent Robida from hurting other people and tackled him to the floor, but that's when he reached for a second weapon: a gun.

Police say he then shot two men, one in the face and the other one in the chest, and left the bar. When officers arrived on the scene they found a third weapon --  a machete, which they say Robida left at the bar. 

BOLO For Grand Am

While the investigation continues, police have provided a couple clues that may help capture  this suspect: he was last seen driving a 1999 Green Pontiac Grand-Am with Massachusetts license plates 85E-C58;  he may have suffered some injuries during the confrontation, that may need medical care.

The New Bedford Police Department has charged Robida with three counts of attempted murder and hate crimes. Police say the teenager is armed and dangerous.

Searching For A Motive

While the city of New Bedford, Mass., is still trying to recover from the shock of such a horrible crime, investigators are trying to find out why a teenager would launch a bloody attack against innocent people in a local gay bar.

Court documents state that police went to Robida's house after the incident and that they  talked to the fugitive's mother. She told them that Robida came home around 1:00am and that he was bleeding from the head.  He only stayed at home a short time. Authorities then went to Robida's room looking for tips that might lead them to a motive. According to police Robida had "Nazi regalia" and anti-Semitic writings all over his bedroom walls.

But now investigators have access to what may help take a deeper look at Robida's personality -- a web page which police believe was created by the teen to expose his dark personality. The web site's author claims to be an 18-year-old male from New Bedford, Mass, whose general interests are "death, destruction, chaos, filth and greed." And among the people that the author, under the name Jake Jekyll, would like to meet are "serial killers and murderers."  One of them show a white man pointing a gun with a swastika cross in the background. Jake Jekyll's web site also mentions a hatchet as his murder weapon.

And, Robida was no stranger to the local police. In 2001 Robida graduated from a "boot camp" program at the New Bedford's Junior Police Academy. Police say the program disciplines kids, who in most cases have been in trouble with the law. 

Tragic Ending Begins With Traffic Stop

When the dust settled, a woman and a police officer had been shot dead. Jacob Robida was wounded by police in the shootout and died early the morning of Sunday Feb. 5, 2006.

It was shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 4, 2006 when a police officer named Jim Sell stopped a green-colored Pontiac Grand-Am in the small town of Gassville, Arkansas. The driver of the vehicle was 18-year-old Jacob Robida. Robida was wanted for a violent attack at a bar in Massachusettes only 2 days earlier. Police say a female friend of Robida's from West Virginia was in the car with him when he was pulled over.

Detectives say Robida pulled a gun on Officer Sell and shot him 3 times before speeding away. Officer Sell died from the wounds. Cops quickly picked up Robida's trail and chased him to the neighboring town of Norkfork. Arkansas State Troopers set up road spikes to flatten the vehicle's tires. Police say Robida drove across the spikes and he was forced to stop the car.

Fugitive Captured Following Gun Battle; Dies Later

Robida was cornered and detectives say he opened fire on the police. Investigators say Robida also turned his gun on the woman traveling with him, killing her. Officers returned fire, striking Robida twice in the head. Police say no officers were wounded during the shootout.

Jacob Robida was flown to a hospital in Springfield, Missouri. He was pronounced dead early in the morning of February 5, 2006.  Detectives say they had tracked Robida to St. Albans, West Virginia the night before. They believe that Robida picked up the woman he was traveling with in St. Albans.