WAILUKU — A five-year prison term was ordered Tuesday for a man convicted of more than a dozen felony crimes, including threatening people, assaulting police and corrections officers and driving stolen vehicles.

Steven Mata Jr., 26, had pleaded no contest to the offenses in 10 cases occurring from November 2016 to last July.

In following a plea agreement to sentence Mata, 2nd Circuit Judge Peter Cahill referred to the defendant’s “troubled” life, which included being described as “incorrigible” since age 3.

Mata stopped going to school in the 7th grade, the judge noted.

“Your past behaviors would cause everyone to be concerned that you’re potentially dangerous and have been dangerous in the past,” Cahill told Mata. “I wish I could change this for you.

“Until we come up with a better solution to our problem, we got to protect ourselves.”

Mata had pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree terroristic threatening, two counts of second-degree assault, first-degree assault on a law enforcement officer, four counts of unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, second-degree theft, third-degree promotion of a dangerous drug, two counts of first-degree bail jumping, resisting arrest and possessing drug paraphernalia.

Mata was charged with terroristic threatening after he pointed a handgun in the direction of a man who was in a vehicle with his girlfriend after a traffic incident on Waiehu Beach Road at about 12:30 a.m. Feb. 7, police reported.

In other cases, he was charged with assaulting a police officer June 9 and assaulting an adult corrections officer July 6.

Mata had been jailed at Halawa Correctional Facility on Oahu while his cases were pending.

Judge Cahill ordered that Mata remain shackled in court Tuesday.

The judge said he hoped Mata would modify his behavior while in prison so the parole board would consider releasing him early.

Defense attorney John Parker said Mata has support from his girlfriend.

“There’s a real connection there. There is love there,” Parker said. “I think the end of this can be a happy ending if they keep that going.”

Mata was given credit for about nine months he has already spent in jail.

He was ordered to pay a $25 fine.

In 2011, Mata was sentenced to a five-year prison term after being convicted of punching a jail guard and driving a stolen car.

* Lila Fujimoto can be reached at lfujimoto@mauinews.com.