David Matthew “Matsy” Mazza, a 46-year-old White male from Clarksburg, West Virginia, died on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, after a fatal shooting in the North View neighborhood of Clarksburg. He had been born in Clarksburg on March 6, 1977, and was remembered in obituary notices as a local man with deep family ties, including two sons and surviving relatives in the Clarksburg and Mount Clare area.
His death came suddenly and violently on a summer night, turning what began as a police response to gunfire into a homicide investigation.
Authorities said the shooting happened just before or around 10 p.m. near Hamill Avenue in North View, close to the former RESA VII building. Clarksburg police responded to a shots-fired complaint and found Mazza suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to WVU Medicine United Hospital Center, where he died from his injuries. Court documents later stated that Mazza had been shot four times, and investigators described the incident as captured in part by surveillance footage from the area.
The investigation quickly focused on Ulices Alexander Pineda, a Bridgeport resident who was 43 at the time of his arrest and formerly associated with Illinois. According to court documents summarized by local news outlets, surveillance footage allegedly showed Pineda driving around the North View area about 30 minutes before the shooting, then parking near 15th Street shortly before the violence unfolded. Investigators alleged that Pineda approached Mazza around 10:04 p.m., got behind him, and that Mazza turned to face him before running south on Hamill Avenue. Authorities said the footage showed Pineda chasing Mazza and firing several shots, causing Mazza to fall into the street. The complaint further alleged that after Mazza fell, Pineda stood over him and fired again into his back before fleeing north on Hamill Avenue and returning to his vehicle.
Police used surveillance video and license plate reader information to identify and trace a 2015 Nissan Altima registered to Pineda. On Friday, June 16, 2023, officers stopped Pineda for a traffic violation and later searched his home on James Street in Bridgeport. During that search, investigators reported finding a. 40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun and ammunition inside a safe. Police alleged the firearm was connected to the shooting, including a round chambered in the weapon that matched rounds found at the crime scene. Investigators also said Pineda told them no one else had access to his vehicle and that he controlled access to the safe where the gun was found.
Pineda was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Mazza’s death. He was held at the North Central Regional Jail without bond, and additional firearm-related allegations were later reported, including felon-in-possession accusations tied to a prior felony drug conviction. In January 2024, a Harrison County grand jury indicted Pineda on charges including murder and use or presentation of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Prosecutors were preparing to take the case to trial, and reports noted that if convicted of first-degree murder without mercy, Pineda could have faced life in prison.
The case never reached a trial or conviction because Pineda died while in custody in April 2024. Harrison County Prosecutor Rachel Romano confirmed that he had died while being held at the North Central Regional Jail, and reports said he was found unresponsive in his cell during a routine check. Jail staff attempted life-saving measures but were unable to revive him, and his death was reported as being under investigation. Because the accused suspect died before trial, the criminal case against him ended without a jury verdict, leaving Mazza’s family with an arrest, an indictment, and a detailed investigative record, but no courtroom conviction.
