An Escondido man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder after an elderly man was critically injured in an assault near a residential property locally known as the “Trump House,” authorities said.
Thomas Caleb Butler, 32, was taken into custody and booked into the Vista Detention Facility in San Diego County on suspicion of attempted murder under California Penal Code 664/187(a), according to the Escondido Police Department. It was not immediately clear whether the San Diego County District Attorney’s office had filed formal charges.
Officers responded around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday to reports of an assault at the intersection of East Mission Avenue and Buchanan Street in the Midway-East neighborhood. They arrived to find an elderly man suffering from significant injuries and a bystander who had attempted to intervene also hurt. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he remained in critical condition Thursday. Police did not publicly identify the victim or release details on the bystander’s condition.
The suspect had fled on foot before officers arrived, but police located a man matching Mr. Butler’s description near East Mission Avenue and Begonia Street — roughly a half-mile from the scene — and took him into custody without incident.
The property near where the assault occurred is widely known in the area as the “Trump House” for its prominent displays of American flags and pro-Trump banners. Fox News, citing public records, reported the property is owned by a 69-year-old man and that Butler lives around the corner from the victim; those details were not independently confirmed by police. The outlet also reported that some neighbors have complained about the displays for years and that video from the scene’s aftermath appeared to show a bystander gesturing to officers as though someone had been kicked or stomped. Escondido police did not address a motive and said the investigation was ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Patrick Hand at (760) 839-4985 or the Escondido Police Department at (760) 839-4722, referencing case No. 26004339.
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