Customer stabs pizzeria owner to death in Reggio Emilia after request for free pizza refused

A dispute over a free pizza ended in murder at Pizzeria Yoghi in the southern part of Reggio Emilia late on 29 June 2026. Around 10:30 p.m., a regular customer entered the establishment on Via Gran Sasso d’Italia and asked for a pizza without paying. When the owner refused, the man pulled a knife and attacked.

The attack

Investigators believe the assailant was a foreign national who had been a habitual patron of the pizzeria. He demanded a free pizza, but Raffaele Stipa, who had run the business for two decades, turned him down.

“I’ve already offered you three, now that’s enough.”

The customer then stabbed Stipa mortally. Antonella Stipa, the owner’s sister, rushed to help and was gravely injured in the process. She was taken to Santa Maria Nuova hospital with multiple wounds and remains in shock.

Victim and his sister

Raffaele Stipa was originally from Capo d’Orlando, in the province of Messina, but had been living in Reggio Emilia for many years. He was 60 or 61 years old, according to varying accounts. He had operated the pizzeria for 20 years and was a well-known figure in the neighbourhood. His sister Antonella, who tried to stop the killer, is being treated for serious injuries.

Manhunt and arrest

After the attack, the suspect fled the scene, prompting an immediate police search.

Officers from the Polizia di Stato tracked him down around 2 a.m. and placed him under arrest. The investigation is ongoing, and the man’s nationality has not yet been disclosed.