Two teenagers have been arrested and charged in connection with the on-camera “juggling” of a Houston lady who was paralyzed after being robbed of cash she had taken from a bank.
The arrests of Joseph Harrell, 17, and Zy’Nika Ayesha Woods, 19, were revealed at a news conference on Friday, more than a month after Nhung Truong was savagely beaten on Valentine’s Day.
Security footage shows a black male suspect dressed in a red, white, and black hoodie with an Air Jordan “Jumpman” insignia, dark shorts, and shoes seizing Truong, who had taken an estimated $4,300 in cash from a Bank of America for a scheduled trip to meet relatives in Vietnam.
According to police, Harrell and Woods drove the mom of three from the bank to a neighboring business.
Harrell reportedly attacked the victim after exiting the car driven by Woods. The video shows how the 17-year-old snatched Truong’s wallet and attempted to flee, but when he realized he didn’t have the money Truong had withdrawn from the bank, he instantly went back and attempted to take away the packet of money she was carrying.
According to Houston police Detective Tyrus Fontenot, Harrell then lifted her up and smashed her down into the pavement, inflicting significant injuries. The license plate of the car seen driving away from the murder scene was able to be found with the help of surveillance footage.
Woods was first caught for a driving infraction with the aid of the Westside gang squad. Fontenot says that when she was questioned by police, she admitted to taking part in the Truong robbery and pointed the finger at Harrell. Another investigator was already working on a warrant for Harrell in another severe assault case. He was apprehended and detained on that warrant with the aid of the gang unit. Fontenot claims Harrell also admitted to the assault on Truong.
Violence of this kind will not be condoned in the city. That makes no sense, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner on Friday. He just called Ms. Truong about an hour ago to reassure her, and he wants the people of Houston to support them. These are severe injuries. The recuperation period is lengthy. And he wants her to understand not just their agency’s affection, but also the love of our city’s fantastic residents.
He simply wants individuals to understand that if you are stupid enough to perpetrate these sorts of acts, they will catch you, said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat. That might take many days. That might take many weeks. But they’ll locate you and take you off the streets. Then he’ll trust the rest of the system, the criminal justice system, to keep them off the streets so it doesn’t occur to someone else.
Harrell was out on bail at the time of the incident for two counts, and he is also suspected of aggravated assault on another lady 12 days after Truong was injured. According to the publication, Woods is being detained on a $50,000 bail, while Harrell’s bond has not yet been set.
Truong’s family’s GoFundMe campaign had collected more than $263,000 by Monday.
Truong, who sustained spinal cord damage, was released from the hospital on Friday for what is likely to be a lengthy healing process, according to her daughter.
