Burglars get 23 years for beating Claremont Realtor

POMONA -- Two burglars who beat a prominent Claremont Realtor nearly to death in the course of burglarizing his home will spend more than two decades in state prison.

Robert Lamonte Jones, 21, and Messigh Liketin Perry-Garner, 16, each pleaded no contest today to multiple criminal charges that carry a total prison sentence of 23 years and 4 months, said Deputy District Attorney Stefan Mrakich.

Jones and Perry-Garner, of Pomona, were accused of breaking into the home of Vincent Gottuso on Jan. 20 in the 700 block of West Tenth Street.

As the men were ransacking the house, Gottuso, 62, arrived home. Jones and Perry-Garner then beat him severely with a rifle and a shotgun, nearly killing the veteran Realtor.

Jones and Perry-Garner are scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 8 in Pomona Superior Court, Mrakich said.

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.