Man sentenced to 10 to 12 years in machete attack

A man found guilty of attacking a bouncer with a machete outside of a Chelsea bar was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison Friday, following only a day of deliberation by a Suffolk Superior Court jury.

Prosecutors said Jose David Benitez, 27, of Chelsea, pulled the weapon from his pants and charged a bouncer at the El-Corral bar in November of 2014, after he was turned away at the door.

The bouncer’s hand was nearly severed as he raised it in self-defense, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said.

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Luckily, the victim was able to dive inside of the bar and close the door behind him.

“But had he not raised his arm to protect himself, his injuries could have been much worse – and possibly fatal,” Conley said in a statement.

Police said they later identified Benitez through surveillance footage. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals two weeks later in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Benitez will face 20 years of probation after leaving prison.