Elderly Man Critically Injured In Escondido

Escondido police said officers responded at about 2:14 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, to a reported assault near East Mission Avenue and Buchanan Street and found an elderly man with significant injuries. The man was taken to a hospital and remained in critical condition as of Thursday, according to police. A bystander who tried to intervene was also injured. Police later arrested 32-year-old Thomas Caleb Butler, an Escondido resident, and booked him into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of attempted murder. ### Where did the assault happen, and what do police say they found? East Mission Avenue and Buchanan Street was the location officers were sent to after the assault was reported, Escondido police said. When officers arrived, they found an elderly male victim suffering from what police described as significant injuries. The victim was transported to a local hospital and was listed in critical condition, according to police statements carried by local outlets. (fox5sandiego.com) NBC 7 identified the man as Kerry Sheron, reporting that the assault happened outside his Escondido home. ### Who was arrested, and where was he found? Thomas Caleb Butler, 32, was identified by police as the suspect arrested in the case. (times-advocate.com) Officers said the suspect had fled on foot before they arrived. East Mission Avenue and Begonia Street was where officers found a man matching the suspect description after searching the area, according to police. (times-advocate.com) Witnesses positively identified Butler, NBC 7 reported, and police took him into custody without incident before booking him into the Vista Detention Facility on an attempted murder allegation under California Penal Code 664/187(a). (fox5sandiego.com) ### What is known about the second person who was hurt? A bystander was injured while trying to intervene in the assault, police said. Authorities have not publicly identified that person in the reports reviewed, and police did not describe the bystander’s injuries in the statements cited by local news outlets. (times-advocate.com) NBC 7 reported that the bystander told the station the homeowner was standing in the front yard when the suspect approached and attacked him. That account came from the witness, not from a formal police narrative released in the reports reviewed. ### Has a motive been established? Escondido police said the investigation is continuing and, in the statements reviewed, did not announce a motive for the attack. (fox5sandiego.com) Police accounts focused on the time, place, injuries and arrest. NBC 7 reported that Sheron’s wife, Maria, said she believed her husband was attacked because of his politics and that the home displayed pro-President Donald Trump memorabilia. (nbcsandiego.com) That explanation was attributed by the station to the victim’s wife and was not presented by police as an established motive. (times-advocate.com) ### What have police asked the public to do next? Case number 26004339 is the reference number police gave for tips about the assault. Escondido police asked anyone with information to call the department at 760-839-4722 or Detective Patrick Hand at 760-839-4985. The next step is likely to come from investigators and prosecutors as the victim remains hospitalized and the attempted murder case moves forward. (nbcsandiego.com) As of the police statements published on May 21, Butler had been booked into custody and detectives were continuing to investigate. (times-advocate.com)