A Texas grand jury acquitted a Houston man accused of throwing cans of White Claw hard seltzer at Senator Ted Cruz during an Astros World Series parade.
Early in November, Joseph Arcidiacono, 33, was arrested on a felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon coming from the can-throwing incident.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the 182nd District Court dismissed the complaint against Arcidiacono on Friday after the grand jury declined to indict him, claiming insufficient evidence.
As of early Monday morning, the Texas Republican senator had not publicly commented on the case’s conclusion.
Cruz was riding atop a Humvee during the Houston Astros’ World Series victory parade on November 7, when two White Claw cans were hurled at him, one of which struck his chest or neck.
In November, Joseph Arcidiacono, 33, was acquitted of aggravated assault after tossing cans of White Claw at Senator Ted Cruz.
Upon his arrest along the parade route, Arcidiacono reportedly told the police, “I know, I’m an idiot. The defendant apologized, according to prosecutors.
Arcidiacono was released on a $40,000 bond after being ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor and be at least 1,000 feet away from Cruz’s place of employment and residence.
The congressman did not require medical attention and laughed about the situation, remarking that he was fortunate Arcidiacono had a “noodle for an arm”
During the recording of his podcast, the 51-year-old joked, “Listen, if he threw a 100-mile-per-hour fastball, I might be in a completely different condition.”
In a subsequent statement, Bill Stradley, Arcidiacono’s attorney, argued that his client had no intention of committing an act of political violence against Cruz, who was received with jeers and nasty gestures during the procession.
Arcidiacono allegedly meant for Cruz to chug the beverage; however, the can impacted Cruz in the chest.
Due to inadequate evidence, a grand jury declined to indict Arcidiacono on the assault charge coming from the can-throwing incident.
“Instead, this was an Astros fan trying to toss drinks from his cooler to the Senator during a championship parade, unaware of how it would be perceived until he saw security’s response,” the attorney stated.
According to Stradley, on the eve of the parade, Arcidiacono texted a buddy, “My ambition is to toss one of the players a beer. However, if that did occur, it would be spectacular.”
In his statement, the suspect’s attorney apologized on behalf of his client to Senator Cruz, his family, and his security detail, and appealed for “grace.”
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