The death of a Southern California man who was attacked outside his home decorated with Donald Trump memorabilia has left his family struggling to cope.
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Alejandra Nava, the stepdaughter of Kerry Sheron, said he was a “caring” man who enjoyed working as a chef at local retirement homes. Every Friday, he would host a fish fry, Nava told NBC News in a phone interview on Wednesday.
“He was definitely a kind man,” she said. “Anybody who was anybody knew him at the churches and stuff.”
His wife, Maria Garcia, told NBC San Diego that he was a “beautiful man.”
“I want my husband back,” she said.
Sheron, 69, was attacked outside his Escondido home just before 2:15 p.m. on May 20, police said in a news release. When officers arrived, he was suffering from significant injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition. He died on Sunday.
The cause and manner of death are pending determination by the medical examiner’s office.
The suspect, U.S. Navy veteran Thomas Caleb Butler, 32, had initially fled after the assault but was located in the surrounding area, police said. Butler, also of Escondido, was booked on charges of attempted murder, elder abuse, criminal threats and battery. He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment on Friday, NBC San Diego reported.
A bystander who intervened was also injured, police said.
Relatives of Butler either declined to comment or did not respond to a request for comment. Butler’s Navy service record shows that he was an information service technician who enlisted in New York in 2011 and served until 2023.
Butler was stationed in Virginia, Florida, California and Illinois, according to the record, and he earned medals indicating that he was deployed in the war on terror and in support of counterterrorism operations.
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Tanya Sierra said a decision on whether additional charges will be announced at Butler’s June 3 hearing.
Nava said Sheron’s death has “kind of rocked us.” A GoFundMe she set up had raised over $42,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s just really unfortunate that this has happened,” Nava said.
The GoFundMe identified Sheron as an Army veteran who proudly displayed American flags and patriotic decorations outside his home. Video from NBC San Diego showed the house covered in flags and signs celebrating the president.
His wife told NBC San Diego that they had experienced harassment and threats in the past over the displays, but the incidents never became violent.
Detectives are evaluating all potential motives for the assault, police said in a statement Wednesday. The statement noted that they had not developed evidence to support the conclusion that there was a political component to the attack. Detectives are also looking into whether Sheron and Butler knew each other or had any previous contact.
Deputy District Attorney Ross Garcia told NBC San Diego, that the attack was unprovoked. He alleged that Butler struck Sheron in the jaw and then hit him repeatedly in the head after Sheron fell to the ground.
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