A Flanders man convicted last month of killing a newspaper delivery woman in Hampton Bays last year was sentenced to serve up to 25 years in prison Thursday.Joseph Perez, 31, had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit when he struck and killed Donna Sartori, 55, of Middle Island with his Ford F-150 pickup on January 5, 2014, on Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays at about 4:15 a.m. Ms. Sartori was delivering newspapers in the hamlet’s business district.According to a press release from Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota’s office, Mr. Perez was sentenced to serve 12 and one-half to 25 years in state prison.Mr. Perez had consumed an entire bottle of whiskey before bar-hopping with friends the night he killed Ms. Satori, eventually ending up at the nearby Dream Nightclub. He was driving home when he struck Ms. Sartori, police said.Mr. Perez underwent a three-week trial in May and was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, two counts of second-degree vehicular manslaughter and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, all felonies, as well as DWI, aggravated DWI and reckless driving, all misdemeanors. He was also cited for leaving the scene of an accident, a violation.During Thursday’s sentencing, according to the release, Ms. Sartori’s husband, Anthony Guggino, addressed the court and described Mr. Perez as, “an animal who callously ignored his dying wife at the crash scene and instead called his mother and not 911 in the minutes after the collision.”Also at the sentencing, Ms. Sartori’s sister, Debra Fox of Saratoga Springs, told Mr. Perez that “Someday you will be released from prison and will be reunited with your family,” while Ms. Sartori’s family will go on enduring “pain and sadness” during holidays and birthdays, the release said.
Alyssa Melillo on Jun 26, 2015