Houston teen accused of paralyzing woman in robbery has bond slashed

A Houston teen has been accused of slamming a mother of three into the ground during a “jugging” robbery that left the victim paralyzed — and he appeared this week in court, where he had his bond slashed in half to $100,000.

Joseph Harrell, 17, was ordered held last week on $200,000 bond following the harrowing, caught-on-camera Feb. 13 attack that left Nhung Truong unable to walk, Fox News reported.

Prosecutors had asked for the $200,000 bond because he had just been released on a $100 bond on Jan. 26 on an unlawful carrying of a weapon charge.

But his court-appointed attorney argued Wednesday to have his bond reduced to $100,000, saying his family could not afford to spring him.

“It was confirmed that bond conditions are in place that would place Mr. Harrell on 24-hour house arrest and require him to wear a GPS monitor should family members be able to post sufficient bonds at some point in the future,” his attorney, Catherine Evans, told Fox News.

Surveillance video showed Harrell had trailed Truong from a bank to a shopping center for 24 miles. He then body-slammed her into the ground and stole the $4,300 in cash she had just withdrawn.

“While on bond for Unlawful Carrying a Handgun, [Harrell] stole money from and assaulted the [victim], causing the [victim] broken ribs, a fractured spine, and paralysis from below the arms, which is serious bodily injury,” prosecutors wrote. 

Truong, a 44-year-old single mother of three, may never regain full function of both of her legs even after receiving over a month of treatment in the hospital, Fox News reported. Her doctors have reportedly said there is a 50% chance she will be able to walk again.

In addition to the counts for aggravated robbery and unlawful carrying of a weapon, Harrell is facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from another incident on Feb. 25.

During that incident, Harrell and at least one other suspect allegedly stole a woman’s purse as she was leaving a business in southeast Houston. The woman and her husband later tracked the suspects to a home using AirPods that were inside her purse.

After recognizing Harrell outside the home, the woman called 911. While they were waiting for police, Harrell allegedly drove up to the couple and asked if they needed something. When they replied that they didn’t, he pointed a black handgun at the woman.

He is being held on a combined $130,000 bond for the aggravated robbery on Feb. 13 and the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Feb. 25.