Bail set at $3M for brothers charged with murder
A pair of brothers accused of beating and kicking a 50-year-old homeless man to death will be held in jail in lieu of $3 million bail, a judge said Monday.
Austin Mostrong, 20, and Preston Mostrong, 19, face charges of murder and torture in the killing of George Lowery in Santee. They pleaded not guilty at separate arraignments in El Cajon Superior Court.
If convicted, they could be sent to prison for life with parole.
Few details about the case were revealed Monday. Neither of the defense lawyers representing of the defendants made arguments contesting the bail set by Judge Daniel Goldstein. However, the amount could be revisited at a subsequent hearing.
Deputy District Attorney George Modlin said in court that both defendants made statements to authorities admitting their involvement in the beating. He said Preston Mostrong was arrested at the crime scene.
Modlin said there were other witnesses who could identify the defendants, and there was “some video in the area,” indicating at least part of the incident was recorded. The prosecutor declined to elaborate outside the courtroom.
He described what happened to Lowery, the victim, as “brutal,” but did not offer additional details or reveal a possible motive. He said evidence that will be presented in court would show that the charges are appropriate.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, Lowery’s wife found him unconscious near their camp west of Magnolia Avenue near Chubb Lane about 5:20 p.m. Sunday. He had been kicked and punched repeatedly in the head.
The wife yelled for help and someone called 911. Paramedics began life-saving measures and rushed Lowery to a hospital. He remained in critical condition until dying Thursday night.
Both defendants were on probation at the time.
The older brother, Austin, was arrested in Santee on April 20 in an assault on two other homeless men. Mostrong pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of battery and resisting arrest and was placed on probation for three years, authorities said.
Preston Mostrong pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge in December 2014, and was placed on probation for three years.
Civil court records show that the Grossmont Union High School District secured a restraining order against someone named Preston Mostrong in February 2011. The records show that Mostrong was ordered to stay at least 100 yards from a female employee of the district and her relatives. He was also ordered not to own or possess a gun.
Several of Lowery’s family members and supporters were in court Monday afternoon, including two of his four children. They were too emotional after the arraignments to speak to members of the media.
Brandi Harris, a family friend, said the family remains distraught. She described Lowery as a loving father and a new grandfather who could be fun despite occasions when he fell on hard times.
“(Whether he was) down on his luck, it didn’t matter,” Harris said. “He was still a wonderful man and he’s going to be missed a lot.”
dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com
