Houston family demands answers after unprovoked attack leaves man on life support
Houston family demands answers after unprovoked attack leaves man on life support
A Houston family is searching for answers after an unprovoked attack left a loved one on life support—and court records reveal the suspect had a decade-long criminal history before the violence occurred.
HOUSTON - A Houston family is searching for answers after an unprovoked attack left a loved one on life support—and court records reveal the suspect had a decade-long criminal history before the violence occurred.
Nhân Le/Photo provided by family
Nhan Le, 34, remains in the ICU at HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest, where he has been hospitalized since last week. According to Harris County court documents and his family, Le is brain-dead, and doctors told his family he may never recover.
Nhân Le was hospitalized after the attack. (Photo provided by family.)
A 24-hour spree of violence
According to Harris County Court records, Le was simply going through his morning routine when family says he was brutally beaten with a crowbar in a parking lot near State Highway 249.
Investigators say the suspect, 28-year-old Joshua McDaniel, went on a 24-hour violent spree in the area, allegedly attacking four different people between Thursday and Friday. Two of the attacks, including the one on Le, occurred less than a mile apart.
Joshua McDaniel
McDaniel is currently held in the Harris County Jail on four separate charges:
- Two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
- One count of Aggravated Assault Causing Serious Bodily Injury
- One count of Assault - Bodily Injury
Total bail for all four charges combined has been set at $755,000.
"When is enough, enough?"
Court records reveal McDaniel is no stranger to the Harris County justice system, with over 15 prior criminal charges dating back to 2015.
That extensive history has left Le’s family questioning why McDaniel was out on the streets in the first place.
"That’s the one question for the court system: Why did this happen? Why didn't it stop from the second time until now—until it went to my brother?" said Hieu Huynh, Le's brother. "Is it way too much? Can we stop it already?"
Victim advocate April Aguirre echoed those frustrations, emphasizing the pattern of behavior.
"He hurt four people in 24 hours. And the charges are right there," Aguirre said. "But prior to that, he has a decade of hurting Houstonians. When is enough, enough?"
Huynh says he feels a responsibility to speak up not just for his brother, but for other victims who haven't had a platform.
"There's a lot of people being hurt who couldn't speak up. They don't raise their voice," Huynh said. "So I have to raise my voice. I want to end this."
What's next
McDaniel is scheduled to appear before a Harris County judge on Tuesday, the 28th, regarding one of the assault charges.
Meanwhile, Le’s family remains by his bedside, uncertain of what the coming days will bring. A GoFundMe organized to help cover Le's mounting medical expenses has already raised several thousand dollars.
Fox 26 reached out to the Harris County District Attorney's office for comment on McDaniel's case but has not received a response.
The Source: Harris County Clerk of Courts, Harris County Sheriff's Office and family of Nhan Le.