An annual tradition that began after the tragic 2016 murder of 11-year-old Josue Flores took place Monday morning in north Houston. State and local leaders gathered at Marshall Middle School for the 8th annual “Safe Walk Home Northside,” accompanied by the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
This year’s event had a festive atmosphere, featuring lively music and goody bags filled with snacks and supplies for students. Organizers emphasized the dual importance of supporting students and ensuring their safety as they return to school.
“I continue to invite everyone to be part of the group, be involved, and let’s continue doing what we’re doing for many, many years to come because the life and the journey of each student and every school district is important,” said Stella Mireles-Walters, a representative of Safe Walk Home Northside.
The family of the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who was a regular participant in the event, also attended in her memory. They presented the organization’s founder with a commendation in honor of the congresswoman’s dedication to the cause.
Remembering Josue Flores
Josue Flores was walking home from school in May 2016 when he was brutally attacked and stabbed more than 20 times by Andre Jackson. During Jackson’s 2022 trial, witness Richard Guerra testified that he heard Josue pleading for his life, saying, “Please, please, don’t kill me, take anything.” Despite his efforts to survive, Josue collapsed and died on the sidewalk.
His death deeply affected the entire city, extending far beyond the northside neighborhood where the tragedy occurred. In 2022, jurors convicted Jackson of murder, sentencing him to life in prison.
Potential Storm Five remains disorganized east of the Lesser Antilles. However, this system is expected to become a tropical storm over the next day or two, and would then be named “Ernesto”. Flooding rain, strong winds and storm surge will cross the Leeward Islands Monday into Tuesday. It is possible the storm strengthens into a hurricane as it tracks near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. After moving away from Puerto Rico, the storm is expected to further intensify east of the Bahamas, becoming at least a Category 2 hurricane as it then tracks northward towards Bermuda.
August 11 4 p.m.
The tropical wave in the Atlantic has now become Potential Storm Five this afternoon. This disturbance is still hundreds of miles away from the Caribbean but is expected to form and become likely Tropical Storm Ernesto early this week as it approaches the Leeward Islands. Potential Storm Five could then impact Puerto Rico as a tropical storm or hurricane before turning north towards Bermuda later this week. So as of now, this storm poses no threat to Houston. However, some outlying model guidance has the system tracking further west into the Caribbean, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on Potential Storm Five, soon-to-be Ernesto, as it interacts with the islands this week.
August 11 10 a.m.
We are continuing to monitor a tropical wave in the Atlantic that will likely be “Ernesto” by midweek. While development odds are up to 90%, models have been in good agreement that the storm will curve north before ever reaching the Gulf of Mexico. We’ll continue to watch it, and any other potential storms, but for now there are no immediate concerns on our radar in SE Texas.
The Army Corps of Engineers is looking into ways to mitigate flooding along Buffalo Bayou with the Harris County Flood Control District. (Shawn Arrajj/Community Impact)
The Biden-Harris Administration has awarded Houston $2 million as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Investment Program to explore the rehabilitation of eight bridges along Buffalo Bayou. The grant, announced on August 7, will fund a feasibility and hydrology analysis to assess the potential for repairing and elevating bridges across a 15-mile stretch in Houston.
Houston City Council applied for the grant in May, with Houston Public Works submitting the formal application. The awarded funds will cover the costs associated with planning activities, including stakeholder engagement and project development.
The Bridge Investment Program, established by President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Law in 2022, aims to address the significant backlog of bridges in need of repair across the nation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted the importance of these grants, stating, “The Bridge Investment Program Planning grants announced today will provide much-needed resources to communities nationwide so they can complete the plans and studies required to move forward with important bridge projects.”
To date, the program has distributed $7.4 billion to 78 projects across 38 states. This latest round of funding included $26.5 million for 28 projects in 18 states, with Texas receiving $2.6 million. Houston will receive $2 million, while the city of Boerne will receive $600,000.
Houston’s funding will be used to conduct a study determining whether the bridges can be elevated above the floodplain, thereby reducing future deterioration and preventing detours during flood events. The study will also explore improvements for bicycle and pedestrian connections.
The bridges under consideration include Kirkwood Bridge, Wilcrest Bridge, Dairy Ashford Bridge, and Sabine Bridge. The study is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete, though a construction timeline has not yet been established as of August 9.
Houston Independent School District (HISD) will kick off the upcoming school year on Monday with a few dozen teacher vacancies, a significant improvement from the thousands of openings reported at the start of the summer, according to district leaders.
To address the 47 unfilled positions, including 12 special education roles, the district has hired uncertified teachers. Approximately 850 uncertified teachers were brought on board this year, according to Superintendent Mike Miles. These individuals are required to enroll in a certification program over the next two years, many of whom transitioned from teacher apprenticeships to full-time classroom positions.
Miles noted that when the previous school year ended, HISD faced over 10,000 vacancies. Despite holding multiple job fairs throughout the summer, the district struggled to fill specialized certified positions such as ROTC and career and technical education roles. Miles also mentioned that some applicants at the job fairs either did not meet the district’s standards or lacked the appropriate background.
It remains unclear how many of the remaining vacancies are the result of job eliminations from the previous year.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Monday marks the first day of school for the largest school district in Texas — Houston ISD.
On Sunday evening, the district said it was still working to assign bus routes for around 700 students.
HISD said students who have not been assigned a route may get on a bus at any stop or route that is for their campus.
The district said bus drivers were told to pick students up and drop them off, even if they were not assigned to a route or stop.
Parents were told to call one of HISD’s transportation services helplines by 7 a.m. for bus route assistance. The district reportedly reached out to all impacted families.
The Transportation Customer Service main phone number is 713-556-5963.
The district says it expects “all students to be assigned a permanent stop within 72 hours of their entry into the transportation assignment system.”
PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) — Pasadena police are hoping surveillance pictures will help them find a suspect involved in a deadly hit-and-run.
According to the family, the victim is 73-year-old Eramos Perez.
It happened on Thursday morning at the intersection of Southmore and Shaver.
“The torture, just him yelling for his life,” David Perez, Eramos Perez’s son, said.
David Perez said that is what he imagines when he thinks of his father’s final moments.
According to Pasadena police, Eramos Perez was in a crosswalk making his way across Southmore Street when he was hit.
Investigators estimate he was dragged about 200 feet before the driver took off.
He said his brother broke the news.
“My brother Joel was trying to reach out to me, and I called him right back, and he told me what happened that he got hit, and all he said was the wheelchair is completely shattered,” David Perez said.
Two days after the crash, Eramos’ wheelchair still sits in a dumpster near the crash scene.
Its state is just as David Perez describes, crushed with Eramos Perez’s shirt lying next to it.
“He always puts his seatbelt on in that wheelchair, so he had nowhere else to go,” David Perez said.
Grainy surveillance photos are investigators biggest lead on the suspect.
The vehicle they were in described only as a dark-colored pickup truck.
“I just hope they are doing the best of their ability to find this individual,” David Perez said.
The morning Eramos lost his life, he was on his way to the McDonald’s in the Walmart across the street.
Perez said it was a daily ritual of sorts.
“Him being partially disabled meaning because of his stroke, half of his body was not active, and that was just the highlight of his day,” David Perez said.
It turns out Eramos Perez’s frequent trips were also a highlight for the McDonald’s employees.
They set up a memorial inside with a picture and a tray of Eramos’ signature order, a sausage biscuit and coffee.
“One of my brothers says they offered him a job as a greeter at one point,” David Perez said.
Eramos lived a simple life, but an impactful one.
Perez said he always worked hard and treated others with dignity and respect.
Something he wasn’t afforded in the end.
“I wish I could take the pain away. He wasn’t supposed to go like this,” David Perez said.
PARIS — American gymnast Jordan Chiles must return the bronze medal she won in the Paris Olympics floor exercise after sport’s highest court voided an on-floor appeal by Chiles’ coach that vaulted Chiles to third, the International Olympic Committee confirmed Sunday.
The IOC announced early Sunday it was reallocating the bronze from last Monday’s women’s floor final to Romanian Ana Barbosu after the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) said Saturday night it would respect the court’s decision and elevate Barbosu to third.
The decision came less than 24 hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport voided a scoring appeal made by Team USA coach Cecile Landi during the competition that placed Chiles on the podium.
CAS ruled Saturday that Landi’s appeal to have 0.1 added to Chiles’ score came outside the 1-minute window allowed by the FIG. The ad hoc committee wrote that Landi’s inquiry came 1 minute, 4 seconds after Chiles’ initial score was posted.
The IOC said in a statement it will be in touch with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee regarding the return of Chiles’ bronze and will work with the Romanian Olympic Committee to discuss a reallocation ceremony honoring Barbosu.
CAS wrote Saturday that the initial finishing order should be restored, with Barbosu third, Romanian Sabrina Maneca-Voinea fourth and Chiles fifth. The organization added the FIG should determine the final ranking “in accordance with the above decision,” but left it up to the federation to decide who would get the medal behind gold winner Rebeca Andrade of Brazil and silver medalist Simone Biles of the U.S.
The FIG said it was the IOC’s call on whether to reallocate the medal. The IOC confirmed Sunday it would respect FIG’s decision and seek to have Chiles’ medal returned.
The rapid turn of events adds another layer to what has been a difficult few days for all three athletes.
Romanian gymnastics legend and 1976 Olympic champion Nadia Comaneci feared for Barbosu’s mental health because of the wrenching sequence in which she went from bronze medalist to fourth-place finisher.
“I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let’s protect them,” Comaneci posted on X earlier in the week.
Comaneci, at the same time, criticized the judges for the way they scored Maneca-Voinea’s routine – the gymnast was docked 0.1 points for stepping out of bounds, but viral replays showed she narrowly stayed inbounds. Comaneci urged the Romanian Olympic Committee to protest, which it did, but CAS denied that appeal.
Chiles hinted at the decision in an Instagram story on Saturday, indicating she is heartbroken and is “taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health, thank you.”
Jazmin Chiles, Jordan’s sister, said on Instagram that Chiles was stripped of a medal “not because she wasn’t good enough. But because the judges failed to give her difficulty and forced an inquiry to be made.”
U.S. teammates offered support to Chiles, a two-time Olympian.
“Sending you so much love Jordan,” American star Simone Biles posted on Instagram. “Keep your chin up ‘Olympic champ’ we love you.”
“All this talk about the athlete, what about the judges?” six-time Olympic medalist Sunisa Lee added on Instagram. “Completely unacceptable, this is awful and I’m gutted for jordan.”
USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Saturday it is “devastated” by the ruling.
“The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring,” the organization wrote.
Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea were left outside the medals in the floor final after finishing with matching scores of 13.700. Barbosu thought she had won bronze over Maneca-Voinea via a tiebreaker – a higher execution score – and began celebrating with a Romanian flag.
Chiles was the last athlete to compete and initially given a score of 13.666 that placed her fifth, right behind Maneca-Voinea. Landi called for an inquiry on Chiles’ score was announced.
“At this point, we had nothing to lose, so I was like ‘We’re just going to try,'” Landi said after the awards ceremony. “I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen, but when I heard her scream, I turned around and was like ‘What?'”
Judges awarded the appeal, leapfrogging Chiles past Barbosu and Maneca-Voinea.
Barbosu made it a point after returning home to Romania that she had no problem with Chiles.
“I only want for everybody to be fair, we don’t want to start picking on other athletes of any nationality,” Barbosu told reporters. “We as athletes don’t deserve something like that, we only want to perform as best as we can and to be rewarded based on our performance. The problems lie with the judges, with their calculations and decisions.”
Chiles’ mother, Gina Chiles, called out the critics in a post, writing she was “tired” of the derogatory comments being leveled at Jordan.
“My daughter is a highly decorated Olympian with the biggest heart and a level of sportsmanship that is unmatched,” Gina Chiles posted. “And she’s being called disgusting things.”
The uncertainty also tinges what had been a beautiful moment on the medal stand, when Chiles and Biles knelt to honor Andrade after the Brazilian star won her fourth medal in Paris.
“It was just the right thing to do,” Biles said about a moment that soon went viral, with even the Louvre itself suggesting it might be worthy enough for a spot somewhere in the vicinity of the Mona Lisa.
That memory now carries a complicated and emotional postscript.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Sunday will be a repeat of Saturday. Temperatures are starting in the mid-upper 70s and will quickly climb into the upper 90s under a mostly sunny sky.
By lunchtime temperatures could be above 90 degrees with a heat index making it feel like close to 100 degrees already. The combination of heat and humidity will push the heat index around 105 Sunday, just shy of Heat Advisory territory.
Ozone levels could again reach unhealthy levels during the peak heat of the day. This invisible gas is a lung irritant that can trigger asthma attacks in sensitive individuals. The pollution levels should peak between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., so it is best to get in any outdoor activities in the morning.
How many days will ozone pollution be a concern?
With rain chances returning Monday along with a southerly wind, we think Sunday will be the last day (for now) with an Air Quality Alert.
When will higher rain chances return?
The next best chance of rain arrives Monday and Tuesday, but even then it’s only 30%. We’ll get grazed by some tropical moisture, and that should be even to get a few afternoon thundershowers developing along the sea breeze front both days. After Tuesday, the heat ridge will again settle back over Texas to push highs toward 100 again next weekend.
What are you tracking in the tropics?
A tropical wave in the central Atlantic now has a 90% chance of development over the next seven days. This wave will likely become Ernesto over the next week. Head to our daily Tropical Update page for the latest on what’s happening in the tropics.
Week 1 of preseason games serves as a first look into the new players on each team, whether they are rookies or offseason acquisitions. To keep you updated on how players all fared in their first game action, our NFL Nation reporters summarize the top debuts below.
Texans: The Texans’ big free agent acquisition, defensive end Danielle Hunter, had a sack and a quarterback pressure Friday night. The Texans’ other defensive free agentadditionwas linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair,who had a couple of tackles and helped limit the Steelers’ running game, as Najee Harris averaged 3 yards per attempt.
All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs, acquired from Buffalo via an offseason trade, had a quiet game with zero targets. However, he and the rest of the Texans’ starting offense had only two possessions. Even though Diggs was quiet, the offense wasn’t, as quarterback C.J. Stroud threw a touchdown to wide receiver Tank Dell on their second outing after going three-and-out on the initial drive.
For the rookies, the one standout was Calen Bullock. The third-roundsafety showed his range with anear interception as he flew from the middle of the field to the sideline and caught a deep pass from Steelers quarterback Kyle Allen, but his foot was out of bounds. — DJ Bien-Aime
Next game: vs.Giants (1 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)
Steelers: If Friday night’s game was an audition — as coach Mike Tomlin said Wednesday the entire preseason is — it’s clear the Steelers aren’t quite ready for the main stage. In a game that lacked execution in every phase, Justin Fields and the first-team unit — sans a couple of veteran linemen — didn’t score any points in three drives. While Fields was 5-of-6 for 67 yards, he was sacked twice and had two fumbles on snaps from center Nate Herbig. The next drive was smootherwith rookie center Zach Frazier in at center.
But even amid the miscues, Fields had a handful of dazzling plays, including a pair of throws to offseason additionWRVan Jefferson on the sideline. The first went for 20 yards,but thesecond onewas ruled out of bounds.
Rookie tackle Troy Fautanu also had an up-and-down first outing, helping spring RBJaylen Warren for a 9-yard run,before giving up two sacks. Defensively, rookie inside linebacker Payton Wilson was active in his Steelers debut, recording a tackle for loss on the Texans’ first play and finishing with six combined tackles and a special teams tackle. Rookie cornerback-turned-safetyRyan Watts also flashed with a near interception and a third-quarter tackle at the line of scrimmage.–Brooke Pryor
Next game: vs.Bills (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)
Eagles: Rookie linebackerJeremiah Trotter Jr. had the kind of debut Philadelphia fans were looking for. Wearing the same No. 54 his father donned while roaming the middle of the Eagles’ defense for eight seasons, Trotter Jr. conjured up memories of the “Axe Man” with his team-leading six tackles and a sack. A fifth-round pick out of Clemson, Trotter continued what has been a strong summer to date. He is making a case for why he should have a role in Vic Fangio’s defense.
He wasn’t the only rookie to stand out. First-round cornerQuinyon Mitchellnearly came up with an interception on the first series of the game. Running backWill Shipleyfound the end zone on a touchdown pass fromKenny Pickett. And edge rusherJalyx Hunt(4 tackles) looked comfortable both rushing the passer and playing in space.–Tim McManus
Next game: at Patriots (7 p.m. ET, Thursday)
Ravens: Baltimore first-round pick Nate Wiggins‘ impressive debut ended with him leaving the field with a team doctor. Wiggins, who started at corner,exitedafter one series in the second half with a right shoulder injury after making a drive-ending tackle on third down.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh didn’t have any update on Wiggins after the game.
The No. 30 pick in this year’s draft began the game by breaking up three passes on his first drive. He had great coverage on Eagles wide receiver Joseph Ngata on fourth down to end Philadelphia’s opening drive.
Wiggins’ biggest mistake was not closing on uncovered Eagles running back Will Shipley, who caught a short pass and ran untouched for a 7-yard touchdown. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Wiggins allowed two completions on six targeted passes for 16 yards and a touchdown.
His injury is another hit to Baltimore’s cornerback group. The Ravens have three other corners who are currently sidelined with injuries: Arthur Maulet (knee), T.J. Tampa (sports hernia) and Trayvon Mullen(shoulder).
Wiggins is projected as Baltimore’s third corner behind starters Marlon Humphreyand Brandon Stephens. Later in the third quarter, another rookie defensive back was injured when seventh-round safety Sanoussi Kane left the game with a stinger. –Jamison Hensley
Next game: vs.Falcons (12 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)
Dolphins: First-roundlinebackerChop Robinson and fifth-round linebackerMohamed Kamara were both inactive, but the Dolphins’ other rookies got plenty of run in Friday’s preseason opener. Second-round pick Patrick Paulstarted at left tackle and flashed his potential as both a pass protector and an impactful run blocker.
Seventh-round safety Patrick McMorris led all players in tackles, but running back Jaylen Wright stole the show. The fourth-rounder’s patient running style churned out 40 rushing yards and a touchdown in the first half alone. He finished with 55 yards on 10 carries, leaving Dolphins fans feeling like their team found another De’Von Achane.
Finally, veteran free agent signee Siran Neal made an impact with two tackles on special teams. He also started at cornerback and forced a fumble, which he recovered. Miami’s big-name players were inactive but should see action in the team’s final two preseason games.
— Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: vs.Commanders (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)
Falcons: Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. performed just about exactly as he has so far in practice during training camp: wowing with some big plays, but also missing open targets with overthrows. That’s completely fine for the Atlanta Falcons, since Penix won’t be starting this year behind veteran offseason additionKirk Cousins.
Penix was 9-of-16 for 104 yards without a touchdown or an interception, playing for the majority of the first quarter. Coach Raheem Morris said at halftime he felt “great” about Penix’s play in his first NFL game. Penix’s best pass was a beautiful floater on a go route down the sideline to WRChris Blair for 41 yards.
Rookie OLB Bralen Trice suffered a leg injury and came out of the game in the second quarter. That was bad news for the Falcons, since the third-round pick is one of the players the team is expecting to be able to get to the quarterback. Pass rush has been one of the franchise’s weak points for nearly a decade.— Marc Raimondi
Next game: at Ravens(12 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)
Patriots: The 2024 No. 3 pick,Drake Maye, entered the game on the second series, following veteran starterJacoby Brissett. In all, he played seven snaps, which broke down this way: three runs, three passes, one false-start penalty. Two of the passes were screens — the first a 13-yarder to RBAntonio Gibsonon third-and-12. Maye finished 2-of-3 for 19 yards.Head coach Jerod Mayo said postgame that the limited playing time for Maye was tied to wanting him to play behind the top offensive line.
Some fans in attendance booed when Maye wasn’t sent out for a third series, withBailey Zappetaking over until late in the third quarter when rookieJoe Milton IIIcapped off the four-man QB rotation. Milton brought some excitement to the lackluster game with a 12-yard run that covered a lot of ground as he scrambled backwards initially, and later with a 13-yard run and a 38-yard TD pass to WRJaQuae Jackson. Undrafted free agent punt returnerDavid Wallisof Division III Randolph-Macon was also one of the night’s big winners with a 23-yard effort to set up the first TD.— Mike Reiss
Next game: vs. Eagles (7 p.m. ET, Thursday)
Panthers: Thirty-three players were inactive, including the entire starting defense — except cornerback Dane Jackson. GM Dan Morgan fought to draft Jackson at Buffalo in 2020 and brought him to Carolina on a two-year deal that could pay up to $14.5 million. The thought was Jackson could start opposite injury-plagued Jaycee Horn. That he played could be an indication he’s still in prove-it mode. It also could mean Morgan still is in the market for veteran corner Stephon Gilmore. Jackson had three tackles against the Patriots, but that he was on the field might be telling.
It was also apparent that undrafted rookie quarterback Jack Plummer is no threat to beat out veteran Andy Dalton (hamstring) for the backup job. To be fair, he played behind the second-team line that hasn’t performed well during the preseason. He also had consecutive passes dropped by wide receivers Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr., which is concerning since both have looked good in camp. Mingo is listed as a starter ahead of first-round pick Xavier Legette (foot).— David Newton
Next game: vs. Jets (7 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)
Giants: The Giants got all their rookies into NFL game action, including first-round pick Malik Nabers. The young wide receiver, who has been dominant throughout training camp and joint practices, played 12 snaps on Thursday night against the Lions, mostly with the second-team offense. He ran eight routes and wasn’t targeted by backup quarterback Drew Lock, despite being open on multiple occasions.
Quarterback Daniel Jones and the starting offensive line did not play in the contest. Mostly, it was an uneventful evening for Nabers at MetLife Stadium, aside from being the last player introduced for the home fans during pregame warmups. While Nabers, the No. 6 pick earlier this year, escaped unscathed physically, the same couldn’t be said for Lock. He left the game late in the first quarter with a hip injury and did not return. It did not appear serious as he remained on the sideline, but it’s something worth monitoring with the Giants having only three quarterbacks (Jones, Lock and Tommy DeVito) on their roster.The Giants seemed confident afterwards that Lock would be fine, even if he was “sore,” according to coach Brian Daboll.— Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Texans (1 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)
Lions: After an intense week of joint practices against the New York Giants, where multiple fights occurred, most of the Lions’ starters didn’t suit up in the first preseason game. Rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. looked good in their debuts despite limited action. Arnold, the No. 24 pick, would end his day after three series. Rakestraw, a second-round pick, registered two tackles while making some solid defensive plays.
Second-year signal-caller Hendon Hookersaw his first game action since college after recovering from a torn ACL. Entering the game after halftime, Hooker ended up finding a groove, going 5-for-9 with 36 passing yards and a team-high 34 rushing yards — including a 16-yard gain where he lowered his shoulder to get the first down near the end of the third quarter. Hooker’s night would end early as he entered the locker room and wouldn’t return at the start of the fourth with a concussion.— Eric Woodyard
Next game: at Chiefs (4p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17)
A North Carolina man accused of fatally poisoning his wife with eyedrops is now being accused of attempting to poison their 11-year-old daughter with the same substance, resulting in her hospitalization, according to court documents.
Joshua Lee Hunsucker was booked on Tuesday and prosecutors have asked that his bond be revoked amid concerns he is abusing and neglecting one of his children, neglecting another child and intimidating witnesses in his murder case. Prosecutors argued that he has become “increasingly aggressive” and that his “dangerous actions will continue to escalate,” according to court documents.
Hunsucker, 40, is accused of poisoning his then-10-year-old daughter with eyedrops over a year after he allegedly killed his wife with the same substance. He put the eye drops into his child’s beverage and the substance was found in their urine sample, according to court documents.
A drug commonly prescribed for depression and not approved for children was also found in her blood. Investigators had found the drug in Hunsucker’s truck, according to court documents.
The 10-year-old was suffering from low blood pressure, low heart rate, extreme exhaustion and sleepiness and constricted blood vessels leading to her hospitalization, court documents show.
In this booking photo released by the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, Joshua Lee Hunsucker is shown.Gaston County Sheriff’s Office
Prosecutors accused Hunsucker poisoned his daughter in an attempt to implicate John and Susie Robinson, who are witnesses in his wife’s murder case. Hunsucker was indicted on Monday on four counts of intimidation and four counts of obstruction of justice, according to court documents.
Prosecutors alleged that while his daughter was receiving treatment, Hunsucker told medical professionals that it appeared she had been given eyedrops which prosecutors said “does not appear to be a reasonable conclusion based on the symptoms” she was exhibiting.
Hunsucker is accused of poisoning his wife Stacy Robinson Hunsucker with tetrahydrozoline — eyedrops — and submitting false information to an insurance company, claiming his wife died “due to myocardial infarction when, in fact, it was due to homicide by poisoning,” according to court documents.
Joshua Hunsucker then cremated her before filing for her $250,000 life insurance policy two days after she died. He received an insurance payout of over $200,000, according to court documents.
Because Stacy Hunsucker was an organ donor, a vial of her blood was preserved after she died. When her husband raised suspicion, an investigation into her death was opened and the blood sample was tested, revealing a high presence of eyedrops, according to court documents.
In this booking photo released by the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, Joshua Lee Hunsucker is shown.Gaston County Sheriff’s Office
Joshua Hunsucker is accused of putting eyedrops in her drinks over a period of time, leading to her death. Before her death, Joshua Hunsucker had told two coworkers that if he killed someone he would do so using eyedrops, according to court documents.
He was arrested in December 2019 and released after he paid a $1.5 million bond and has been wearing an ankle monitor and maintained a curfew.
Joshua Hunsucker is also accused of threatening or attempting to intimidate the Robinsons by sending a package to their residence, filming and following them in public places, routinely driving by their house and making vulgar gestures towards them in the parking lot of the church they attend, demanding that they drop the charges against them, according to court documents.
Joshua Hunsucker also falsely accused John Robinson of assaulting and kidnapping him, according to court docs.
He is accused of staging his own kidnapping, falsely reporting that he stopped to change a flat tire and a pistol-whipped him in the head multiple times before his hands were zip-tied and injected with an unknown substance. Hunsucker then accused him of attacking him to “shift responsibility from the defendant to the Robinsons for his wife’s death,” according to court documents.
