Pair Guilty Of Violent Buford Home Invasion

BUFORD, GA -- Two men who took part in a violent 2013 home invasion in Buford have been found guilty in Gwinnett County Superior Court.

Justin Myreon Hosch pleaded guilty in the middle of a four-day trial and Jimmy Dwayne Bridges was found guilty on 6 out of 7 charges against him.

Hosch was sentenced to 25 years in prison, followed by 15 on probation. After he pleaded guilty, prosecutors offered to drop all other charges against Bridges in exchange for a guilty plea to hindering an arrest, which would have carried a five-year prison sentence.

Instead, he now faces 15 years in prison, followed by 10 years on probation.

According to evidence presented at the trial, Hosch and another defendant, Aaron Sturgeon, kicked in the door of a Buford home in the early morning hours of September 9, 2013, while the victims inside were watching a soccer match.

Hosch, wearing a black ski mask and holding a handgun, and Sturgeon, wearing a teal ski mask, entered the home and demanded everyone's wallets and cell phones.

Sturgeon has already been tried and convicted in the case.

While they were collecting their victims' property, Teresa Hernandez-Castro, who had been asleep with her young son, came into the room and was hit by Hosch with the gun.

Maicol Castro-Reyes got up to defend Herandez-Castro, and was struck in the head by Sturgeon with a beer bottle

The bottle shattered, causing cuts to Castro-Reyes' head that resulted in him needing more than 30 stitches at a hospital.

Another victim, Alejandro Hernandez-Castro, then lunged at the gun and a struggle ensued.

Both defendants ran away, with the victims chasing them. Sturgeon was able to escape. While fighting Hosch, the victims took his gun from him and got their property back.

That's when a vehicle occupied by Bridges and another man pulled up, picked up Hosch, and drove away.

It was soon pulled over by Gwinnett County Police responding to a 911 call, though.

Police testified that, during Bridges' first interview, he said he had driven from Winder to Buford to pick up Sturgeon, his cousin, who needed a ride.

He said that he, Hosch and the other passenger came upon a fight in which a group of Mexicans were beating up two other men. He denied knowing the two men, but claimed he got out of his vehicle to help.

In an interview the next day, he admitted to lying. This time, he said he had dropped off Hosch and Sturgeon at the Buford home, but still denied knowing anything about an armed robbery.

During the trial, Hosch withdrew his not-guilty plea after two victims were able to identify him as the man with a gun they had fought.

The jury found Bridges not-guilty on one of the aggravated assault counts against him.

The men faced two counts of armed robbery, three counts of aggravated assault, burglary in the first degree and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.