NAUGATUCK — A local man turned down a plea deal that would have sentenced him to 18 months in prison, and now he could face up to 46 years if found guilty at trial.
Steven Pelletier, 54, rejected the offer Wednesday in Waterbury Superior Court to plead guilty to second-degree assault for a five-year sentence suspended after 18 months.
Pelletier was arrested Feb. 6, 2022, on charges of home invasion, disorderly conduct, first-degree assault and second-degree threatening. He is free on a $250,000 bond.
Pelletier is accused of going to his ex-girlfriend’s home at 2 a.m. armed with an ax. A fight ensued between Pelletier and occupants of the Salem Street home. One of the occupants dialed 911 despite Pelletier’s attempts to stop the resident, police said.
The occupants were able remove the ax during the struggle, but Pelletier threw several knives from the kitchen at the residents, police allege.
The suspect fled the scene before police arrived but later was found at a Waterbury hotel, where he was arrested without incident.
