In connection with the on-camera jugging of a Houston woman who was left crippled as a result of the violent robbery of cash that she had withdrawn from a bank, two teenagers have been detained and charged.
At a press conference on Friday, more than a month after Nhung Truong was beaten up the day before Valentine’s Day, it was revealed that Joseph Harrell, 17, and Zy’Nika Ayesha Woods, 19, had been taken into custody.
Houston Crime Caught In Surveillance Video
A Black male suspect was seen on surveillance footage grabbing Truong, who had withdrawn an estimated $4,300 in cash from a Bank of America in preparation for an upcoming trip to visit family in Vietnam.
The suspect was wearing a red, white, and black sweatshirt with an Air Jordan Jumpman logo, dark shorts, and sneakers.
According to the police, Harrell and Woods drove after the mother of three from the bank to a nearby establishment.
The victim was allegedly assaulted by Harrell after he exited the car that Woods was driving. The footage demonstrates how the 17-year-old first stole Truong’s wallet and proceeded to go, but as soon as he realized he was missing the money that she had taken out of the bank, he circled around and attempted to pull the money from her grasp.
Harrell then lifted her up and slammed her to the ground, leaving her with serious wounds, according to Houston police Detective Tyrus Fontenot.
Detectives were able to identify the vehicle’s license plate from surveillance footage that showed it leaving the crime site.
Woods was initially nabbed for a driving infraction with assistance from the Westside gang unit. She admitted to her involvement in the robbery on Tuesday during her interrogation with detectives and named Harrell as a co-conspirator, according to Fontenot.
In a different aggravated assault investigation, another detective had already started putting up a warrant for Harrell. He was found and taken into arrest on that warrant with the help of the gang unit.
According to Fontenot, Harrell also allegedly admitted to attacking Truong. The patients are fully recovering.
Read more: Zombie-style knives by SLASH IT Tech bosses face prosecution for selling online
Robbery Victim Suffers Paralyzation
In order for their mother to start healing, the family informed ABC13 that they are concentrating on providing a safe environment for her.
Speaking through her daughter Ban, Truong tells ABC13 that despite having shattered her spine and suffered broken ribs that have rendered her immobile, she is fighting to regain her ability to walk.
For both this case and an armed robbery that he is accused of committing 12 days later, Harrell is being held on a $400,000 bail total. A $50,000 bond is being held for Woods.
Truong is now dependent on her mother, her three children, and others for care. It’s been a demanding couple of weeks, she says, and she hopes Woods and Harrell bear the price for the assault.
Read more: CCTV records uncle throwing murdered niece’s body into a shipping container
