Details of Claremont home-invasion robbery, beating revealed in testimony
Two men accused of beating a Claremont man nearly to death after breaking into his home in January must stand trial on charges of attempted murder and first-degree residential robbery, a judge ruled Monday.
The ruling came after about an hour of testimony at a preliminary hearing in Pomona Superior Court, where police officers revealed details of the beating that nearly killed Vincent Gottuso, 61, who owns real estate offices in Claremont and Upland.
Prosecutors allege Robert LaMonte Jones, 20, and Messigh Liketin Perry-Garner, 16, were in the process of burglarizing Gottuso's home Jan. 20 in the 700 block of West Tenth Street when Gottuso came home.
The men, of Pomona, repeatedly beat Gottuso in the head with a rifle and shotgun belonging to the homeowner, then left believing Gottuso would die from his injuries, authorities believe.
Gottuso was initially hospitalized in critical condition, but has since returned home and made significant progress in his recovery, his sister said in an interview.
Claremont police Officer Christopher Casas testified that he and a detective were the first to respond to a 911 call placed by Gottuso's wife.
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She initially told police she had returned home and found blood and a handgun in her home, and said she didn't see anyone in the home.
When officers arrived, the woman "was hysterical, crying uncontrollably," Casas testified.
Before officers arrived, the wife said she found a bloodied man on the couch in the home's library, Casas testified.
She told officers she couldn't recognize the man -- who was later identified as Gottuso -- and believed he was dead, Casas testified.
When officers first contacted Gottuso, "he seemed to be going in and out of consciousness," Casas said.
Gottuso was initially able to repeat his name, but by the time paramedics arrived Gottuso was unable to remember his name, Casas testified.
The house had been ransacked, with drawers left open in the kitchen and master bedroom, and items scattered around the bedroom, Casas testified.
The officer said a window in the bedroom was open two to three inches, and the screen had been removed. On the outside of the home, bricks had been stacked at the window, apparently for use as a step stool.
Casas testified that he found a rifle an a shotgun covered in blood on the bed in the master bedroom.
The men now facing charges were arrested in the days following the attack at Claremont West Suites, 475 East Foothill Blvd. in Pomona, where police believe they were living.
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Claremont police detective Jason Walters testified that in the men's motel room, he found two bloody pairs of pants, and two sets of tennis shoes with blood stains on the soles and sides of the shoes.
Police found numerous items belonging to the Gottuso family, including jewelry, video games and a video-game system, and a bag with Vincent Gottuso's name and address on it, Walters testified.
Police also located a social-security card and a Claremont West Suites rental agreement in the room -- both with Jones's name on them.
After the two men were arrested, they both admitted their involvement in the robbery, but each blamed the other for striking Gottuso repeatedly in the head with the butt of a weapon, Claremont police detective Hector Tamayo testified.
Both denied striking Gottuso, though Jones told police he choked Gottuso to keep him from yelling, Tamayo testified.
Tamayo said he visited Gottuso the day of the beating at Los Angeles County--USC Medical Center.
Gottuso's face was swollen, his eyes were shut, his left ear was cut, and large cuts on his head -- ranging in length from 5 to 8 inches -- had been closed with staples, Tamayo said.
The following day, Tamayo again visited Gottuso, and he had recovered to the point where he was able to give a more detailed description of the incident, Tamayo testified.
Gottuso said he came home from work and found two men in his home, Tamayo testified.
"They just started beating him severely," Tamayo testified. "They were like animals, is how he described it."
Following testimony from the three officers, Perry-Garner's defense attorney, Kent Thomas, moved to dismiss the attempted murder charge.
He told Judge Robert Martinez that it appeared there was evidence of an assault presented by the prosecution, but no explicit intent to kill.
Martinez denied the motion, which was joined by Jones's attorney, then held Jones and Perry-Garner to answer on the criminal charges.
Gottuso's sister, Lorie Anderson, said in an interview after the hearing that Gottuso is now doing "better -- a lot better."
She said Gottuso is going to work daily during the work week, but usually works less than a full day.
"It's a process," she said. "Everything is a process. But yes, he's going into work now."
Neither Gottuso or his wife attended Monday's hearing, because "he has no desire to be around (the defendants)," Anderson said.
"This is a horrendous thing that happened to this family," she added.
Bail remains set for both Jones and Perry-Garner at $1 million. They are next due in court March 16 to be arraigned on the confirmed charges.
Oct. 15, 2009 CORRECTION: A previous version of this blog post identified Jones and Perry-Garner as brothers. They are not related. The men told Claremont police officers they were brothers when they were arrested.
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