PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Steven Santana, 32, of Dalton, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Berkshire Superior Court to assault charges and was sentenced to state prison after severely beating a Pittsfield man.

 

He pleaded guilty to single counts of mayhem, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, assault and battery to collect a loan, witness intimidation, and four counts of threat to commit a crime.

 

Judge John Agostini sentenced Santana to serve seven to 12 years in state prison. The commonwealth requested a sentence of 12 to 15 years and defense counsel requested five to seven years in state prison. The state sentencing guidelines recommend a sentence of 5 1/2 to 8 1/2 years in prison.

 

On Aug. 4, 2021, Pittsfield Police responded to a home for an assault and found a severely injured victim. Action Ambulance transported the victim, a resident of Pittsfield, to Berkshire Medical Center for treatment. The victim later sought further treatment at Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center for multiple facial bone fractures and a severe eye injury.

 

Agostini also sentenced Santana to 2 1/2 years to 3 1/2 years, concurrent with the mayhem sentence, to unrelated firearm charges.

 

On Oct. 4, Santana pleaded guilty to single counts of carrying a firearm without a license, possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony, possessing a defaced firearm, trafficking in cocaine, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

 

Those charges were related to Santana's attempt to evade police after during a traffic stop on April 18, 2021. Dalton Police had attempted to stop Santana's vehicle on West Housatonic Street and Santana led them on a chase before ultimately coming to a stop. During the chase, Santana discarded a backpack containing a firearm, cocaine, and evidence of cocaine distribution, which police recovered shortly after the stop.