Former Stoneham MMA Fighter Pleads Guilty To Attempted Murder

Stoneham's James Armato, 28, entered a guilty plea Wednesday in Middlesex Superior Court in connection with a 2016 assault that left a woman with whom he had been in a relationship seriously injured.

Judge Kathe Tuttman sentenced Armato, a former MMA fighter, to five to seven years in State Prison on the charge of attempted murder. Armato entered a guilty plea on the charges of three counts of strangulation, assault and battery causing serious bodily injury, two counts of assault and battery and resisting arrest.

Judge Tuttman also sentenced the defendant to three years probation and ordered the defendant to undergo a mental health and substance abuse evaluation, to complete a certified batterers program, to refrain from using drugs or alcohol and to be subject to random screens, to undergo counseling focused on domestic violence issues and to stay away from, and have no contact with, the victim and members of her family.

Charges in this case stemmed from two incidents of domestic abuse. In November of 2015 at the defendant’s residence, a verbal altercation between the victim and defendant took place. When the victim attempted to leave the residence, Armato grabbed the victim, threw her to the ground and strangled her.

On May 15, 2016, the victim was driving the defendant in her car in Malden. During the drive the victim and defendant argued. The defendant then punched the victim and began to strangle her. The victim lost consciousness causing her to crash her car into a retaining wall and a pole on Pleasant Street in Malden. When the victim awoke she attempted to flee at which time the defendant began to beat and strangle her again. The victim sustained serious injuries including lacerations to her face, a fractured orbital bone and cracked teeth.

Malden Police and firefighters arrived on scene and attempted to take the defendant into custody, at which time he began to fight the first responders before finally being detained by two officers and multiple firefighters.