Preliminary hearing postponed for assault suspect
Eagle County Jail
A preliminary hearing scheduled for one of the two men suspected in an August assault was postponed Thursday until next month.
Eagle County District Judge Rachel Olguin-Fresquez delayed the hearing until 2 p.m. Oct. 22 for Mustafa Muhammad, who is accused with another suspect of keeping a man against his will and beating him to the point where he suffered broken bones and lacerations to his face and other bodily injuries.
The incident allegedly happened Aug. 26-27 at a townhouse in the Willits subdivision in Basalt.
Muhammad and the other suspect, Daniel Wettstein, lived at the home.
Public defender Kevin Jensen asked for the delay of the preliminary hearing — which is where the prosecution is tasked with presenting evidence sufficient enough for a judge to bound the case over for trial — because of additional information that has surfaced.
“We have some new evidence,” Jensen told the court. “And it sounds like we’re going to be receiving more new evidence as the district attorney conducts its investigation.”
Muhammad faces three counts of assault in the first degree; second-degree kidnapping; two counts of assault in the second degree; robbery; menacing; violation of bail bond conditions; possession with the intent to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance; conspiracy — controlled substance; unlawful possession of a controlled substance; violation of a protection order; and false imprisonment. All the charges except the last two are felonies.
He is currently in the custody of Eagle County Jail on a $25,000 bond in addition to $6,500 in bonds out of Garfield County.
Wettstein, who is free on bond, is due back in court Oct. 27.
