Police said Kerry Sheron, 69, died Sunday night after being in critical condition at the hospital for several days.
Sheron, a U.S. Army veteran, decorated his home in Escondido, California, with American flags and pro-Trump paraphernalia.
The attack happened outside Sheron’s house, which had been the subject of complaints and vandalism for years.
Deputy District Attorney Ross Garcia described the brutal attack, reportedly by 32-year-old Thomas Caleb Butler.
According to NBC 7, Sheron was punched in the jaw once and collapsed to the ground before the suspect beat him many more times in the head.
A brief search found Butler, who was arrested without incident and charged with attempted murder.
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is “reviewing the circumstances to determine whether charges will be amended,” police said.
A friend of Butler’s said he was a Navy veteran with PTSD.
The California Post quoted the acquaintance as saying that Butler “sits in his room and thinks everyone is coming to get him” and that his condition was worsened despite treatment.
“This is the guy that plays with Legos and Star Wars stuff,” Butler’s friend reportedly said.
Around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Escondido, California, police officers responded to reports of an assault at the intersection of East Mission Avenue and Buchanan Street, adjacent to the “Trump House.”
They located a male, later identified as Sheron, “suffering from significant injuries.”
Police said a bystander who interfered during the alleged incident was also injured.
His wife, Maria Garcia, told The Post last week she didn’t expect her husband to survive.
Garcia also believed the attack was politically motivated.
“He tried to kill my husband, you know,” she told CBS 8. “It’s terrible. I don’t know what kind of hate… what heart, the black heart.”
“They don’t like the flags. I don’t know why. I support America. My husband is [a] veteran,” she said.
The home, known throughout the San Diego area as the “Trump House,” has long been covered in American flags, patriotic decorations, and pro-Trump displays.
For years, the property has attracted both supporters and critics.
Garcia suggested the visible patriotic displays may have fueled hostility.
“They don’t like the flags. I don’t know why. I support America. My husband is [a] veteran,” she said.
Police arrested 32-year-old Thomas Caleb Butler, who has now been charged with attempted murder.
He is being held without bail at the Vista Detention Facility in San Diego County.
Authorities say Butler fled the scene after the attack but was quickly tracked down and arrested.
Police also said a bystander who intervened during the violence suffered injuries.
A friend of Butler told the California Post that the suspect is a Navy veteran with serious mental health struggles.
According to the friend, Butler had been medicated for mental illness, but his condition had worsened significantly.
The friend described Butler as increasingly paranoid and unstable.
“He sits in his room and thinks everyone is coming to get him,” the friend reportedly said.
The same source said Butler had been unemployed after his time in the Navy.
While police have not publicly declared a motive, Sheron’s home has previously been the target of vandalism and complaints.
Its highly visible political messaging made it one of the most recognizable private homes in the area.
That history has fueled immediate speculation that politics may have played a role.
