A Lancaster city man was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in state prison last Friday by Lancaster County Judge Margaret Miller for a second-strike aggravated assault conviction.

Charles Berry, 58 of the 500 block of N. Queen Street, was convicted of one count of aggravated assault charge following a three-day trial in January 2024 regarding an incident that occurred in October 2021.

Assistant District Attorney Christine Wilson prosecuted the case and stated Berry’s first-strike offense happened in 1998 for which a jury returned a guilty verdict for 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 were dispatched to the 500 block of N. Queen Street for the report of an assault that had just occurred.

Police learned an ambulance had been dispatched for the victim and spoke with Berry, who stated he confronted the victim concerning damage to Berry’s vehicle.

Berry admitted to an 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.

The victim said Berry believed he damaged his car, which the victim stated wasn’t true.

Lancaster City Bureau of Police Officer Joseph Graczyk filed charges.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.