‘Trump House’ owner dies after brutal attack outside Escondido home

The owner of a heavily decorated pro-Trump home in Southern California has died days after he was beaten to a pulp allegedly by a Navy veteran.

Kerry Sheron, a 69-year-old Army veteran known locally for covering his residence with MAGA banners and American flags, died Sunday night after nearly a week hospitalized in critical condition.

The attack happened May 20 outside Sheron’s home in Escondido, police said.

Prosecutors allege 32-year-old Thomas Caleb Butler attacked Sheron in what officials described as an unprovoked assault.

Butler, who has been described in local reports as a Navy veteran, has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted murder, elder abuse, criminal threats and battery.

Deputy District Attorney Ross Garcia previously told the court that Sheron suffered catastrophic injuries during the incident.

“It was a single punch to the jaw,” Garcia said. “The victim then falls to the floor, and there are subsequent hits to the victim’s head area.”

Security footage obtained by local media allegedly showed Sheron standing outside his Buchanan Street home before the suspect approached and attacked him. A nearby witness reportedly attempted to intervene before the suspect fled the area on foot.

Police later located Butler nearby and took him into custody shortly after the incident, according to investigators.

In the days before Sheron’s death, his wife Maria gave an emotional update, telling reporters there was “no hope” for her husband as he remained hospitalized with devastating injuries.

She also said the family had been preparing for the worst after doctors warned that Sheron’s condition had rapidly deteriorated due to severe head trauma.

Photos published after the assault appeared to show Sheron bruised, bandaged and connected to medical equipment inside his hospital room.

Authorities said Butler remains jailed without bail. Prosecutors indicated the charges could now be upgraded following Sheron’s death.

He is expected to be formally re-arraigned as early as this week, with homicide-related charges now under consideration, officials said.

Investigators have not publicly identified a motive and said it remains unclear whether the two men knew each other before the confrontation.

Sheron had previously claimed his home — widely known in the community as the “Trump House” because of its large political displays and American flags — had been vandalized in the past. In a video posted months earlier, he showed torn flags and damaged decorations outside the property.

Maria previously told reporters she believed her husband may have been targeted because of the pro-Trump displays outside their home. Authorities, however, have not confirmed any political motive tied to the attack.

In recent days, dozens of supporters gathered outside Sheron’s home holding signs, flowers and American flags as news of his condition spread through the community.

Neighbors described the area as shaken by the violence, saying the attack felt sudden and deeply disturbing for a usually quiet residential street.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters