Saugus cousins treated for stabbing each other

SAUGUS-Two cousins were treated for stab wounds Monday after the men sliced each other while rolling around on the floor during a fight inside a Newhall Avenue home, police said.Dante Piso, 32, of Revere and his cousin, Mark Battista, 31, of Saugus, were transported to local hospitals following the fight at 74 Newhall Ave., apartment 104, inside the Saugus Commons complex at about 1:50 p.m. Monday.Battista, whose last known address was 14 Indian Rock Drive, was stabbed at least once in the back and transported to Mass. General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. However, police said Monday evening that Battista’s condition had improved and he was expected to survive.Piso was stabbed under the arm, an injury that a police lieutenant described as “less severe.” Piso was treated and released from Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.Piso was later transported to the Saugus police station, where he sat in a jail cell Monday night.According to Lt. Michael Annese, both men have been criminally charged with single counts of assault and battery with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.Police said the stabbings resulted from a fight during which the men were rolling around on the floor, but didn’t elaborate much further.Another woman was in the home at the time of the fight and made the call to 911 at 1:49 p.m., Annese said.Battista has a criminal record for cases from both Lynn and Salem courts, court records show. He was charged with kidnapping and assaulting his girlfriend outside a Lynn bar in January 1999, but those charges were later dropped. Battista was also charged with violating a restraining order, assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a class C drug (Clonopin) for an incident involving a family member at 14 Indian Rock Drive on Jan. 4, 2007. Those charges were later dropped as well.