LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A Lancaster man was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for a second-strike aggravated assault conviction.
Charles Berry, 58, from Lancaster City, was convicted of one count of aggravated assault following a three-day trial in January of 2024 following an October 2021 incident, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.
Assistant District Attorney Christine Wilson prosecuted the case and stated Berry's first-strike offense happened in 1998 when a jury returned a guilty verdict for the manslaughter of a 2-year-old victim in 2001.
“The defendant is unable to control his anger and violent outbursts and as a result, an elderly man was brutally assaulted,” Wilson said. “The streets of Lancaster County will be safer while he is incarcerated.”
The Lancaster City Bureau of Police was dispatched to the 500 block of N. Queen Street for the reported assault. At the scene, officers spoke with Berry, who said he confronted the victim concerning damages he found on his car.
Berry reportedly admitted to the officer that he repeatedly punched the victim in the torso while inside the vestibule of both his and the victim's apartment building.
The victim suffered three broken ribs and a punctured lung, among other injuries, according to police.
The victim said Berry believed he damaged his car, which the victim stated was untrue.
Lancaster County Judge Margaret Miller sentenced Berry to 10 to 20 years in state prison for the second-strike aggravated assault conviction.
