Lynn man sentenced to five years on assault charges

LAWRENCE – A Lynn candy factory worker who was convicted of beating his former girlfriend last year in his Morris Street apartment was sentenced to serve five years in jail.Jesus Mendoza, 44, formerly of 29 Morris St., Lynn, went on trial this week in Lawrence Superior Court.A jury comprised of three women and nine men deliberated for about two and a half hours on Wednesday afternoon before reaching their split decision, finding Mendoza guilty of two counts of assault and battery, but innocent of the most serious charge of attempted murder.Judge Richard E. Welch III had postponed sentencing for a day.Mendoza was sentenced Thursday morning on one count of assault and battery to two and a half years in the House of Corrections and then given another two and a half years on the second charge of assault and battery upon completion of the first sentence.In essence he will serve five years in the House of Corrections. He has already served 434 days in lieu of bail awaiting trial on the case.Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Kirshenbaum presented evidence during the three-day jury trial that on Oct. 7, 2010 in the early morning hours Mendoza and his then 35-year-old girlfriend got into a domestic argument.During the incident, the victim testified that she was thrown to the floor and her head was repeatedly slammed into the floor, and that she was bitten and strangled during the episode.Neighbors living upstairs heard the commotion and called police.When police arrived at the scene they pushed in the door and had to pull Mendoza off the victim.Mendoza took the stand in his own defense, saying he acted in self-defense during the incident.Mendoza was represented by Christopher Norris of the public defenders office.Mendoza was indicted by an Essex County grand jury in November of 2010 and has been held in custody since being arraigned.