Claremont Realtor confronts attackers at sentencing hearing
POMONA -- For the first time since the beating that nearly ended his life, Vincent Gottuso faced his attackers this morning at their sentencing hearing in Pomona Superior Court.
Speaking to the two defendants and a full courtroom, Gottuso, 62, recalled praying when he realized he had interrupted a burglary when he arrived at his Claremont home on Jan. 20.
He recalled the burglars saying "take him down" and "hit him hard," then striking him in the face with the butt of a rifle and shotgun. He recalled them choking him three times.
"You thought you could kill me," said Gottuso, who had a visible scar on the back of his head. "God had another plan."
Robert Lamonte Jones, 21, and Messigh Liketin Perry-Garner, 17, both of Pomona, were both sentenced to more than 23 years in state prison today for leaving Gottuso for dead after burglarizing his home and attacking him.
Neither defendant spoke during the hearing, but Perry-Garner's defense attorney told Gottuso and his family that the teen was remorseful for his role in the incident.
Gottuso, a Realtor with offices in Claremont and Upland, was initially in critical condition after the incident in the 700 block of West Tenth Street.
He was beaten so badly and bleeding so heavily that his wife did not recognize him when she returned home and found her husband on a couch. She believed he was dead, according to police testimony in a March preliminary hearing.
"We don't treat dogs the way you treated me," Gottuso told his attackers today.
The identities of the burglars were discovered after police found items stolen from the Gottuso home for sale in a local pawn shop, and traced the items back to Jones and Perry-Garner.
The defendants agreed to plead guilty to attempted murder and other felonies last month as part of a plea bargain reached with prosecutors. The convictions carry two strikes.
The men potentially faced life prison sentences if convicted by a jury. They could be released in about 19 years if they are well-behaved in prison.
Perry-Garner's mother, Lisa Morris, said in an interview after the hearing that she was sorry for the attack on Gottuso, and her son was remorseful.
Morris said that when she got a phone call notifying her of the incident, "my first instinct was to begin to pray for Mr. Gottuso and his family."
She said she believes her son's prison sentence is too long. Perry-Garner was only 16 when the attack occurred, and he was led astray by an older man, she said.
Morris said she believed her son was at a disadvantage in court because he's black and poor, and he attacked a white man in an affluent area.
"It brought extra stuff that it wouldn't have," she said.
Gottuso, who was accompanied in court by about a half-dozen family members, brought two copies of the Bible and two copies of the New Testament to court to give to his two attackers.
A judge told him the material would have to be checked by a bailiff before given to Jones and Perry-Garner.
"You're off the street. I'm fine with that," Gottuso told the defendants. "... I'm done with you."
Gottuso's sister, Lorie Anderson, also spoke at the sentencing hearing.
"I can not forgive these two cowards," she said. "They are the lowest form of human I can think of."
Anderson said her brother is her best friend and business partner.
"On the drive to the hospital I felt my world was crumbling," she said.
"I hope and pray that you two gentlemen make it through your stay in prison," she said. "It was your choice."
I really hope these punks do at least 90% of their time (not 1/2 for good time). Everyone should be able to walk into their homes with being attacked by anyone!! These little pigs should really go to prison for life, because they tried to kill the man.
And NO, this isn't a racial issue!!! If it looks like a punk & acts like a punk, no matter what the color of their skin, they are still a PUNK!!! God & justice needs to get rid of them!
I worked for Vince Gottuso in the early 90's and a better, more compassionate man you will never find. These two animals should be locked up in a cage and NEVER LET OUT! This is not a white vs.black issue - this is an issue of two evil persons, two bums, who figured it would be easier to violently take from a person that which they coveted. If they did this deed for money to buy drugs, it's too bad they didn't overdose! That would be justice!