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HOUSTON - New details are emerging in the recovery of a man critically injured in a random, violent crowbar attack earlier this month—and his family is raising questions about why his alleged attacker was free in the first place.
Nhan Le update
What they're saying:
Nhan Le remains on life support at HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest following the July 17 attack near State Highway 249.
However, in a new update, his family says he has begun showing slight signs of movement in his arms and legs.
"When I hold his hand, his hand pulls. And when I massage him, his leg is straightened," said his brother, Hieu Huynh.
Questions about suspect's prior dismissal
Dig deeper:
While holding onto hope, the family maintains that this incident could have been prevented.
The alleged attacker, 28-year-old Joshua McDaniel, has more than 15 prior charges in Harris County court records. Among them was a charge for injury to an elderly person that was dismissed in February after McDaniel was referred to a mental health treatment facility.
Joshua McDaniel
Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers Houston pointed out that the referral did not guarantee mandatory treatment.
"Once they dismissed the case, they gave him a ride from Harris County Jail to the Judge Ed Emmett Mental Health Treatment Center," Kahan said. "It's voluntary. There's no commitment orders. They can't force him to stay... Who knows what happened? Obviously, we know what happened months later because he's facing life imprisonment for these horrific acts."
Huynh voiced similar frustration over the suspect’s release prior to the attack.
"That's like a free ride for him after he committed all those crimes," Huynh said.
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.
District Attorney’s office issues new statement
The other side:
In response to inquiries regarding McDaniel’s history and the February dismissal, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office released the following statement:
However, official court documents associated with McDaniel’s dismissal do not list "lack of witnesses" as the official reason, showing only a referral to a mental health facility.
Kahan noted that omitting the explicit dismissal reason on court paperwork is something he has never seen in similar cases.
FOX 26 has requested further clarification from the District Attorney's Office regarding the discrepancy and is awaiting a response.
The Source: Harris County Clerk of Courts, Harris County District Attorney, Harris County Sheriff's Office and family of victim.