Newton Man Sentenced For Assaulting A Man At A Hickory Hospital

NEWTON, N.C. – A Newton man faces six-to-eight years in prison after assaulting another man at a hospital in Catawba County.

Joseph Lee Rosales, 23, pleaded guilty to a charge for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury.

The incident happened at the Catawba Valley Medical Center on February 24th, 2023. Hickory Police reviewed video footage that started by showing Rosales and the male victim watching television together.

At a certain point, the victim walked across the room and turned his back to Rosales. Shortly after, Rosales approached the victim from behind and started choking him.

Rosales pulled the victim to the center of the room and made him lose consciousness before he appeared slumped on the floor. The video footage then showed Rosales punching the victim in the face over and over again.

The assault ended when another patient walked in the room and notified the hospital staff.

The victim needed to have surgery on his injuries suffered from the assault. The victim’s father said his life has changed dramatically as a result of the incident.

Rosales will serve his sentence in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.