EDWARDSVILLE – A homeless man from Edwardsville, who was previously granted pretrial release twice, now faces fresh charges after a public assault and battery incident near Dewey’s Pizza.
Daniel Vazzana, 42, listed as homeless in Edwardsville, has been charged with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and aggravated assault, a Class A misdemeanor.
The incident occurred on August 17, 2024, when Vazzana allegedly threatened to kill a person while advancing toward them in an aggressive manner. This followed an earlier altercation in which Vazzana reportedly pushed the same victim in the parking lot of Dewey’s Pizza, located at 112 E. Vandalia St. in Edwardsville.
According to a petition to deny Vazzana’s pretrial release, “The defendant approached the victim on a public street, pushed him, and then chased him through a public parking lot while threatening his life.” At the time of this incident, Vazzana was out on pretrial release from a separate case filed earlier this year, in which he had repeatedly failed to appear in court.
A Detention Order was subsequently issued, granting the state’s petition to keep Vazzana in custody. The petition highlighted two previous incidents of property damage, for which Vazzana had been granted pretrial release. He was first charged with criminal damage to State Street Market, followed by a release on misdemeanor charges. He was later seen damaging the glass doors of the East Alton Police Department before being released again, only to commit the offenses in the latest case.
Court records show that Vazzana has a history of criminal charges, including several dismissed charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct in Madison County. His criminal history also includes domestic assault charges and violations of No Contact Orders in Minnesota dating back to 2011.
The Edwardsville Police Department is handling the latest case against Vazzana. According to records from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, he is currently being held in custody at the Madison County Jail.
It is important to note that the issuance of charges is based solely on probable cause and does not imply guilt. All individuals charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.