Don't help a good boy go bad: lock him up, and throw away the key
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The Houston suspect accused of paralyzing a mother of three by bodyslamming her during a "jugging" robbery on Feb. 13 had his bond cut in half on Wednesday from $200,000 to $100,000, according to Harris County court records.
Joseph Harrell, 17, was arrested last week after police released surveillance video of the incident, in which Harrell allegedly followed the victim 24 miles from a bank before bodyslamming her to the ground and stealing $4,300 in cash she had just withdrawn.
After his arrest for aggravated robbery, prosecutors asked for a $200,00 bond, citing the fact that he had just been released on a $100 bond on Jan. 26 for an unlawful carrying of a weapon charge.
"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.
Aside from the aggravated robbery on Feb. 13 and unlawful carrying of a weapon charge on Jan. 26, Harrell is also facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from another incident on Feb. 25.
In that incident, Harrell and at least one other accomplice allegedly robbed a woman of her purse while the victim was leaving a business in southeast Houston, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Later that day, the woman and her husband tracked the suspects to an address using her AirPods that were left in her purse. When they arrived at the address, the woman recognized Harrell standing outside and called 911. While waiting for police to arrive, Harrell allegedly drove by them and asked if they needed something. They replied that they didn't, at which point Harrell "turned around and as he passed them again, Defendant Harrell pointed a black handgun at her."
So, the timeline here seems to be that, after he was arrested on January 26 for illegal possession of a handgun and released on $100 bond, Harrell went out again, and mugged and paralyzed a mother of three he’d tracked for 24 miles after she’d withdrawn cash from an ATM in preparation for a visit to her relatives in Viet Nam. Harrill must have known that he’d paralyzed the woman — the attack made national news — but a week later he was back robbing again, and again carrying a gun. He will no doubt continue this behavior until he kills someone, whereupon there will be a great wailing and gnashing of teeth, and calls for defunding the police will echo throughout the land.
