Home invader to serve nine years in prison
Published 10:53 am Monday, August 29, 2011
An Austin man who was involved in two armed home invasions in February and March was sentenced Friday in Mower County District Court to nine years in prison.
Ojulu Obang Onyongo, 20, was convicted of first-degree burglary with a dangerous weapon in the February home invasion. He was convicted of aiding and abetting first-degree assault in the March shooting that left one man injured. Onyongo received an additional 58-month prison sentence for the February incident, but it is to run concurrent with the nine year sentence.
Onyongo was given credit for 150 days served.
Another Austin man, 21-year-old Ochudho Jamal Ojulu, was also sentenced Friday in connection with the February home invasion. Ojulu was sentenced to 20 years probation on one count of first-degree burglary.
The first incident, involving both Onyongo and Ojulu, took place the night of Feb. 27, when Onyongo, Ojulu and three other men broke into a house in the 800 block of Eighth Avenue SW demanding money and marijuana. According to court documents, the men were wielding two shotguns and left with a laptop computer and a cell phone.
The other assault took place March 28, when Onyongo and two other men reportedly broke into somebody’s apartment at 200 First St. SE.
According to a court complaint, Onyongo agreed to go with the two men after they offered to give him a cigarette. Onyongo told police he walked back to the Old Downtown Motel while the alleged shooter — Mongong Kual Maniang Deng, 20 — was inside reportedly demanding money from a tenant. Deng allegedly shot the tenant in the upper leg.
Deng has not been sentenced yet.