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Shot fired in Beverly pizza parlor

By Paul Leighton
Staff writer
Published: May 7, 2009

BEVERLY — A Peabody man has been charged with assault with intent to murder after he fired a shot inside a Beverly Farms pizza shop yesterday morning in what police are calling a domestic incident.

Police say Ilirian Piku, 44, of 18 Harris St., Peabody, walked into Harry's Pizza & Deli on Hale Street at about 9:30 a.m., struck the victim several times, attempted to rape her and pointed a gun at her head.

At one point, Piku fired a bullet into the ceiling, police said. The bullet did not hit anyone.

Piku fled the store and was later arrested by Peabody police at the Peabody Coffee House on Walnut Street. Police searched Piku's vehicle and found a .357 caliber handgun that was loaded and cocked, Peabody Police Capt. Dennis Bonaiuto said.

"It made for a very dangerous situation," Bonaiuto said.

Piku was being held overnight in the Peabody police station and was scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Salem District Court.

Harry's Pizza & Deli is a small shop in quiet Beverly Farms village, across the street from the fire station. Beverly police would not say whether the victim was an employee of Harry's Pizza. Two men working behind the counter at Harry's yesterday afternoon declined to comment.

Peabody police captured Piku after Beverly police provided them with a photograph of him. Bonaiuto said Peabody Patrolman Steven Molk was familiar with Piku because Molk had worked the downtown neighborhood for years and knew Piku could often be found at the Peabody Coffee House.

Piku had been arrested on New Year's Day in 2008 following a fight near the coffee house and was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a shod foot).

Yesterday, six Peabody police officers, including Molk, found Piku at the coffee house and arrested him without incident, Bonaiuto said. Police later discovered that the gun in Piku's vehicle had been stolen.

Beverly police charged Piku with armed assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to rape, discharge of a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, possession of a firearm without a firearms identification card, four counts of assault and battery, and intimidating a witness.

Peabody police charged Piku with leaving a firearm in a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of ammunition, receiving stolen property over $250, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possessing a firearm with a prior violent and/or drug crime.

Beverly police officers David Costa and Steven Collins first responded to the incident at Harry's Pizza. Assisting in the investigation are Capt. John DiVincenzo, Detectives David Richardson, Jeffrey Liacos and Richard Ganey, and the State Police Ballistic and Crime Scene Services Units.

In Peabody, Sgt. Glen Fredericks and Patrolmen Molk, Richard Cochran, Mark Falco, Joseph Gilroy and Javier Sanchez assisted in Piku's arrest.

Staff writer Matthew Roy contributed to this story. Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or by e-mail at pleighton@salemnews.com.