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Cops pursued Santana onto the Van Wyck Expressway as he weaved in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed, before finally pulling him over as he neared North Conduit Avenue and 134th Place.
By Forum Staff
A tire iron wielding livery driver will find himself behind bars for up to three years in prison after he launched an unprovoked attack on a fellow driver in March last year.
Nathaneal Santana, 28, of the Bronx attacked the victim at JFK, following a dispute over a fare and threatened to kill the man if he continued to press charges.
“The defendant’s vicious attack left the victim in a great deal of pain and in fear for his safety. The victim suffered lacerations to his head, extensive bleeding and had to receive several staples,” said District Attorney Brown. “The sentence of the Court is more than warranted.”
Santana plead guilty in September to second-degree assault and third-degree intimidating a witness before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Barry Kron, who sentenced the defendant to one and a half to three years for contempt. Additionally, the defendant was sentenced to three years in prison on the assault charge – all to be served concurrently.
On March 20, 2017, between 8:11p.m. and 8:20 p.m., the defendant approached the victim Wilkins Cruz, 26, of Yonkers, outside the Terminal Five arrivals gate and said “ I am going to kill you.” The defendant then left the area, only to return a few minutes later, with a tire iron which he used to strike Cruz repeatedly on the head and body.
When Port Authority police tried to apprehend the defendant he jumped into his car and fled the scene. Officers pursued the defendant onto the Van Wyck Expressway as he weaved in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed, before finally pulling him over as he neared North Conduit Avenue and 134th Place.
During a search of the defendant’s vehicle, officers recovered the tire iron used to strike the victim. The defendant admitted to using the object to hit Mr. Cruz and defended his actions by saying in sum and substance “I was upset. That was the first thing that came to mind.” When asked why he evaded police, the defendant responded “I know I got into a fight and should not have run when the cops said to stop. I ran because I thought those guys were going to jump me.”
The defendant and the victim encountered one another again outside Terminal Five at Kennedy Airport on August 7, 2017. At that time, the defendant approached Mr. Cruz and threatened to “beat and shoot” him, if the victim pursued charges against him.
