Man accused of holding victim, who walks with crutches, under water over use of lake
By Jamy Pombo Sesselman
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HOPKINTON, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A Hopkinton, Massachusetts, man was charged with attempted murder after he allegedly held a man who walks with crutches under water during an altercation over the use of a residents-only lake Wednesday, police said.
Steven Dana, 70, got into a fight with a 21-year-old man at Sandy Beach on Lakeshore Drive just before 7 p.m. after he confronted the victim about his use of Lake Maspenock.
The only boat ramp to the lake, which straddles Hopkinton and Milford, is on Lakeshore Drive, and use of the ramp is limited to Hopkinton residents from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, police said.
Police reviewed video footage that showed Dana slapping the victim across the face before they ended up in a struggle in the water, at which point Dana forcefully held the victim under the water, officials said. Bystanders then pulled Dana off the man.
“This is an incident of senseless violence that could have had tragic results, and we treat matters like this with the utmost seriousness,” Deputy Police Chief Scott van Raalten said. “The Hopkinton Police Department asks that residents contact the proper authorities to investigate incidents that involve the enforcement of the town’s bylaws rather than taking matters into their own hands.”
Dana and the alleged victim declined medical treatment.
Officials learned that the 21-year-old had been involved in an accident a few months prior that caused severe injuries and that he was walking on crutches.
Dana was charged with an attempt to murder, two counts of strangulation/suffocation, and assault and battery on a disabled person and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
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