Santee brothers ordered to stand trial for murder and torture

After a 2-day preliminary hearing, two Santee brothers were ordered Nov. 16 to stand trial for murder and torture in the April 24 death of a homeless man near the San Diego River bottom in Santee.

Additionally, Austin Larry Mostrong, 21, and Preston Autry Mostrong, 20, were ordered to stand trial for felony assault in the beating of a worker at a fast food restaurant in Santee in Feb.

After a 2-day preliminary hearing, two Santee brothers were ordered Nov. 16 to stand trial for murder and torture in the April 24 death of a homeless man near the San Diego River bottom in Santee.

Additionally, Austin Larry Mostrong, 21, and Preston Autry Mostrong, 20, were ordered to stand trial for felony assault in the beating of a worker at a fast food restaurant in Santee in Feb.

Also, Hailey Suder, 18, the girlfriend of Austin Mostrong, was ordered to stand trial for two counts of accessory after the fact involving the murder of George Lowery, 50. Suder is also from Santee and the two accessory counts are helping each brother.

Penny Lowery testified tearfully that she found her dying husband underneath some plywood not far from where the brothers’ truck had been stuck in mud. She heard something and lifted up the plywood to see her husband.

“He was face down in the dirt with blood all over his face and he was hog tied up with bungee cords and fishing lines,” said Penny Lowery.

George Lowery was taken to a hospital, but never regained consciousness and died there. The couple was married 25 years. Her husband was assaulted near the river bottom west of Chubb Lane in Santee.

El Cajon Superior Court Judge Dan Goldstein set the next court hearing for the trio for Dec. 12. Both men remain in jail on $2 million bail, while Suder remains in the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility on $100,000 bail.

All three have pleaded not guilty. At the time of the murder, both men were on probation. Austin Mostrong had been convicted of misdemeanor assault involving another homeless man while Preston Mostrong had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge.

El Cajon man sentenced 50 years to life for murder

Donald Ray Lewis, 41, of El Cajon, was sentenced Nov. 17 to 50 years to life in prison for the 2015 murder of James Melvin Crawford, Jr. 40, who was shot to death in an El Cajon apartment parking lot.

El Cajon Superior Court Judge John Thompson imposed 25 years to life for his conviction of first-degree murder and added 25 years for using a firearm in a homicide. Lewis was given jail credits of already serving 457 days.

A jury found Lewis, who is also known as Maceo Lewis, guilty last month after deliberating less than one hour. He didn’t speak at his sentencing and did not testify in his 2-week trial. Thompson ordered him to pay $758.95 to the crime victim’s compensation fund. He was fined $10,224.

Deputy District Attorney Sophia Roach said the two men quarreled over money and other things on Aug. 19, 2015 near an apartment complex at 989 Peach Ave. in El Cajon. Crawford was shot twice.

Crawford’s mother, Gayle Williams, and his brother, Cornell Ellis, spoke at the sentencing, with his mother saying she had forgiven Crawford for what he had done. Ellis said he misses his brother.

Lewis fled the scene after the shooting. He later was arrested by El Cajon Police.

El Cajon man sentenced in murder of girlfriend

Eugene Gregg Niggel, 55, of El Cajon, was sentenced Nov. 15 to 23 years in state prison for killing his girlfriend, Linda Sue Irwin, 63, in 2014.

El Cajon Superior Court Judge Patricia Cookson ordered Niggel to pay $783.80 to the crime victim’s compensation fund as well as a large fine. Niggel may have to pay restitution to the victim’s brother at a later date. He received jail credits of 746 days already spent in jail.

Niggel pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Feb. and a murder charge was dismissed.  His sentence for manslaughter was doubled because he has a prior conviction for a residential burglary in Lakeside in 2003.

He received 10 years consecutively because of the serious felony offense, said Deputy District Attorney Carlos Campbell.

Irwin was transported to a hospital after Niggel assaulted her on Nov. 19, 2014, in El Cajon. She died in the hospital from injuries due to blunt force trauma, according to the medical examiner.

When Niggel pleaded guilty, he agreed to accept the 23-year proposed sentence. There were no witnesses at the sentencing.