“No one throws 5 blows to the head of anyone without intention to kill. I can’t believe I almost lost my father,” says victim’s daughter.
A 64-year-old Trump supporter has been hospitalized after being viciously attacked by a man wielding a sledgehammer in New Jersey on Friday.
Rocky Granata was well-known in the region and across the nation for his decked-out Trump RV, which he drove to numerous MAGA rallies throughout the years to sell Trump merchandise.
From Asbury Park Press:
Michael Gonzales, 36, of Philadelphia, was charged with attempted murder. He was detained by witnesses at the scene and taken into police custody upon their arrival, said Middletown Deputy Police Chief Paul J. Bailey.
The victim suffered “significant injuries to his head” and was taken by helicopter to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, Bailey said.
An investigation has determined that Gonzales struck the victim in the head multiple times with a hand-held sledgehammer, Bailey said.
Granata was in critical condition but has apparently been released, according to some social media claims.
His daughter and family members took to Facebook on Friday to condemn the vicious assault against Granata.
A post on Granata’s Facebook page April 5, apparently written by the victim’s daughter, said Gonzalez “tried to murder my father today with a hammer to the head 5 times.”
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In a comment on another post on Granata’s Facebook page related to the assault, Krystal Calise wrote, “How dare he try to murder my father. Sick kid.”
In a subsequent comment on the same post, Calise wrote, “No one throws 5 blows to the head of anyone without intention to kill. I can’t believe I almost lost my father.”
Police insisted the attack was not politically motivated, but rather began as a dispute between the two men.
In addition to attempted murder, Gonzalez was also charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.
He was held at the Monmouth County Jail in Freehold Township pending a detention hearing, Bailey said.