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Lawsuit filed after boy was shocked at Houston park
A family is suing Houston and CenterPoint Energy after their 9-year-old son was shocked by a light pole at F.M. Law Park. FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann explains.
HOUSTON, TX - A Houston mother is speaking out after her 9-year-old son was allegedly shocked by a light pole at a city park, weeks before another boy was hospitalized after touching the same pole.
The family has filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Houston, CenterPoint Energy and other parties.
The backstory:
The alleged incident happened on April 2 at F.M. Law Park in Houston. The boy's mother said she and her family were at her son's baseball practice when her 9-year-old son was shocked by an energized light pole.
"I heard my son screaming. I heard the coach screaming. My son put his hands on the pole, he grabbed the pole and got electrocuted," she said. "He started telling me he wanted to go to the hospital and said he felt like he was dying."
The boy is now going to therapy and continues to deal with anxiety following the incident, according to his mother. She said the family decided to file a lawsuit in hopes of preventing something similar from happening again. The mother said she wants to get justice for her son.
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The lawsuit alleges the City of Houston and other parties failed to properly maintain the park. The city owns F.M. Law Park.
The City of Houston and CenterPoint Energy said they are aware of the lawsuit but will not comment on pending litigation.
CenterPoint Energy added that it is dedicated to providing safe and reliable electric service to the 2.9 million customers we are privileged to serve across Greater Houston.
The First Tee Greater Houston and the Houston Golf Association are also named in the lawsuit and said, "We are aware of the lawsuit and are studying the petition and allegations. First Tee Greater Houston and Houston Golf Association do not utilize or manage any part of the baseball facilities at F.M. Law Park."
FOX 26 has not yet received a response from O.F.A. Little League.
The lawsuit comes after another incident last month at the same park involving 14-year-old, Angel Galeas. Angel's mother said that her son went into cardiac arrest and was hospitalized for two weeks after he was shocked by the same light pole. She said Angel is dealing with headaches and balance issues and is currently using a wheelchair.
The Source: FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann spoke with the boy's mother as well as several entities about the lawsuit.