A San Jose man will spend 21 years in state prison after repeatedly striking a co-worker in the head with a hammer at a San Mateo construction site in 2023.

Joaquin Tanori Morales, 44, pleaded no contest to attempted murder for the May 2023 attack at a jobsite in San Mateo, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe announced Wednesday, Aug. 19.

The attack was unprovoked.

According to the San Mateo County District Attorney's office, Morales struck the victim, a fellow construction worker, in the head with a hammer and then fled the scene in a stolen truck. The victim's name and current condition have not been publicly released.

Morales's no-contest plea carried several sentencing enhancements that drove the 21-year term well beyond a standard attempted murder sentence. The plea included a prior strike enhancement, a deadly weapon enhancement for the hammer and a violent felony enhancement, the DA's office said. Together, those add-ons stacked years onto the base sentence, reflecting both the brutality of the attack and Morales's criminal history.

The San Mateo Daily Journal first reported the sentencing.

The case is the second workplace violence sentencing in San Mateo County in as many days. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, a man received a three-year sentence for an attack at a fast food restaurant in the county. That case involved a lesser charge and no weapon.

No appeal or further court proceedings have been announced. Morales will serve his sentence in a California state prison.

Residents who witness workplace violence or threats can contact the San Mateo Police Department at (650) 522-7700 or call 911 in an emergency.