Suspect In Machete Assault Arraigned On Felony Charge

This week’s Current Court Report includes arraignments and dispositions from the Monday and Tuesday Nantucket District Court sessions. This week is jury week, meaning there will be court sessions all week, and it began with the arraignment of the man arrested last week following an altercation with a machete.

Somers Donaldson, 62, of Nantucket was arraigned on a May 30 charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He had a not-guilty plea entered on his behalf and was ordered to return to court July 24 for a pretrial hearing.

According to the police report, on May 30 at approximately 2:20 p.m., police were dispatched to a Cliff Road residence for the report of an altercation between two males, one of which was brandishing a machete.

Trooper Robert Bates was in the area at the time and saw Donaldson on his bike heading into town. Bates stopped the Donaldson and detained him.

Police then located the alleged victim in the case at a Cliff Road residence and observed a laceration on his right wrist. The individual told police that he and Donaldson got in an argument over work Donaldson was not completing despite being paid to do it. The alleged victim said Donaldson then began swinging the machete at him, eventually making contact.

The alleged victim went on to say that he was able to restrain Donaldson and bring him to the ground. Donaldson then held the blade of the machete to the victim’s back. Officer Nicholas Terino said in the report that he observed a scrape mark on the victim’s back consistent to the length of the blade.

The machete in question was located and had “a red fluid consistent with blood” spattered near the tip of the blade. Police also observed blood on the handle of the machete. Donaldson was released following his arrest on $500 bail.

In other district court news, Wender Fabricio Da Silva, 31, of Nantucket, had Jan. 7, 2022 charges of assault and battery on a family/household member and intimidating a witness/juror/police/court official dismissed due to lack of prosecution.

After being continued without a finding for one year, Mary E. Gilmartin, 56, of Nantucket had an Aug. 27, 2021 charge of negligent operation of a motor vehicle dismissed.

Angel Guillen-Ramirez, 25, of Nantucket, was arraigned on May 29 charges of assault and battery on a family/household member. He had not-guilty pleas entered on his behalf and was ordered to return to court July 10 for a pretrial hearing.

After completing pretrial probation, Antontria Hinton, 28, of Nantucket had a June 5, 2022 charge of assault and battery dismissed.

After completing one year of probation on a guilty plea, Rodil O. Lemus, 48, of Nantucket had the probation he was serving on a July 10, 2019 charge of negligent use of water skis/surfboard terminated.

After being continued without a finding for six months, Cesar Llanos-Garcia, 29, of Nantucket had an Oct. 29, 2022 charge of negligent operation of a motor vehicle dismissed.

Richard Manchester, 42, of Nantucket was found not guilty by a jury on three charges of photographing sexual or intimate parts without consent. You can read the full story here.

Alex Navaroli, 33, of Nantucket had an Oct. 2, 2021 charge of assault and battery on a family/household member dismissed due to lack of prosecution.

*All defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty under a court of law*