Two teenagers have been arrested in the aftermath of a Houston robbery that left the victim paralyzed, police announced during a Friday press conference.
Houston Police announced at a press conference on Friday that Joseph Harrell, 17, and Zy’Nika Ayesha Woods, 19, were arrested after a February robbery in which a hooded man grabbed a woman as she was leaving a bank.
FOX 26 reported both suspects face charges of Aggravated Robbery with Serious Bodily Injury.
Surveillance footage shows a hooded suspect throwing a woman to the ground and then beginning to run. However, the man apparently realized he had left the woman’s money behind and returned to retrieve it, throwing her to the ground again.
The victim, identified as Nhung Truong, sustained serious injuries during the robbery and is still unable to walk. A GoFundMe page description indicates she suffered “a severe spinal cord injury” and “requires round-the-clock care.”
Subsequent updates to the page indicated Truong’s doctors are predicting a recovery period extending more than two years, though she was released from the hospital on Friday.
The fundraiser, which was set up to help Truong meet the costs of her medical care, has since raised nearly $300,000 dollars.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner described the incident at the press conference, saying the footage he had seen made him “mad as hell.”
“This individual came up and attempted to grab her – I think like her purse – then took off and saw that he didn’t have the money, so he went back and grabbed her and slammed her down.” he said. “In fact, when I saw it, it just made me mad as hell. Slammed her down like she was a bag of potatoes.”
He also lamented that violent crime has become more prevalent in Houston over the years.
Houston Police Chief Troy Finner described the incident as “just senseless.” Citing court records, FOX 26 reported that Woods’ bond has been set at $50,000, but no bond amount has yet been set for Harrell.
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