A Houston teen accused of slamming a mom of three into the ground and leaving her paralyzed during a robbery was reportedly heard on jailhouse phone calls confessing to the crime and ridiculing the victim.
The audio recordings of 17-year-old Joseph Harrell’s conversations were obtained by station ABC13 from a source close to the investigation after a judge made a controversial decision to slash the suspect’s bond in half to $100,000.
“We were snatching purses,” Harrell said on the jailhouse recording. “I hopped out, snatched the purse, the lady ran with the money, I grabbed her, slammed her and she was paralyzed.”
Harrell was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and robbery after being caught on camera body-slamming Nhung Truong in Houston on Feb. 13. His accused getaway driver, 19-year-old Zy’Nika Woods, was also jailed on a robbery count
Cops said the teen suspect followed the woman for 24 miles from a bank to a shopping center to steal $4,300 in cash she had just withdrawn for an upcoming trip.
The so-called “jugging” attack left the 44-year-old single mother unable to walk after suffering a fractured spine and other serious injuries.
Speaking to an unknown person on the jailhouse recording, Harrell griped about Truong’s GoFundMe fundraiser and laughed at the prospect of being imprisoned for up to 20 years for the violent purse-snatching.
“The lady probably wants justice and some more (expletive),” Harrell said. “They’ll try to max me out 20 years basically. That (expletive). I ain’t going for it.”
He continued, talking about Truong’s online charity drive: “The (expletive) already ran up $230,000 off GoFundMe. (Expletive) better run on with her life.
“Like, (expletive) you done run up $230,000. Look. They say she ran up $230,000 and she’ll be back walking in no less than a year.”
As of Friday morning, Truong’s GoFundMe account has drawn more than $310,000 in donations.
Harrell was out on bond for an unrelated weapons charge at the time of the harrowing, caught-on-video attack — and he was subsequently charged in connection with another robbery just over a week later.
In the Feb. 25 incident, Harrell and another suspect allegedly stole a woman’s purse in southeast Houston. The victim and her husband later managed to track the thieves using AirPods that were inside the pilfered bag.
The victim spotted Harrell and called 911. While the woman and her husband were waiting for police to arrive, Harrell allegedly confronted the victim and pointed a gun at her.
The 17-year-old’s bond in the Truong case was initially set at $200,000, but Judge Kristin Guiney on Wednesday lowered the amount to $100,000 after his attorney argued that his family did not have enough money to secure his release.
Harrell’s bond in the second robbery was also lowered, from $40,000 to $30,000.
Douglas Griffith, president of Houston Police Officers’ Union, told ABC13 that Harrell poses a threat to the public.
“If this kid gets out of jail, he is going to victimize more individuals,” Griffith said. “He does not care about anyone but himself, and for the judge to lower his bond baffles my mind. I can’t wrap my head around it.”
If Harrell makes bond, he would be placed under house arrest and be required to wear a GPS monitor, according to his court-appointed lawyer.
Truong may never regain full function of both legs, and her doctors said there is a 50% chance she will be able to walk again, Fox News reported.
Speaking to ABC13 through her daughter last week, Truong said she feels “scared.”
“I need everyone’s help to get them the punishment they deserve,” the woman said, referring to her attackers.
