Account
Fan Who Threw Seltzers at Ted Cruz During Astros WS Parade Has Charges Dropped
January 7, 2023
The man accused of throwing cans of hard seltzer at Texas Senator Ted Cruz during the Houston Astros' 2022 World Series victory parade in November had the charges against him dropped after a grand jury declined to indict him.
John Wayne Ferguson @JohnWFergusonUpdate: The charges have been dropped against the man accused of throwing cans of White Claw at Sen. Ted Cruz during the Astros World Series parade.<br><br>A grand jury failed to find an indictment <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouNews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/m3ef6ri5U6">https://t.co/m3ef6ri5U6</a> <a href="https://t.co/gWNbEs77Qf">pic.twitter.com/gWNbEs77Qf</a>
Joseph Halm Arcidiacono, 33, was accused of throwing two unopened 12-ounce cans of hard seltzer at Cruz while he was riding on one of the floats during the parade. One of the unopened cans hit Cruz in the chest and neck area, police said.
Arcidiacono was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and had his bail set at $40,000. After Arcidiacono was arrested, his attorney said in a statement:
"Political violence is never acceptable. What happened at the parade was not political violence nor 'aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.'
"We have seen various videos and understand why Senator Cruz's security detail was alert for potential violence.
"Instead, this was an Astros fan trying to toss drinks from his cooler to the Senator during a championship parade and not realizing how it would be perceived until he saw security's reaction.
"... Joey apologizes for how his actions alarmed Senator Cruz, his family, and his security detail and put a damper on an otherwise beautiful celebration for millions of Houstonians. With this fuller context, we ask for grace and hope Senator Cruz declines to maintain charges."
Cruz later shared a video of the incident and thanked Houston Police and Capitol Police for jumping into action. He also joked that Arcidiacono "had a noodle for an arm."
The Astros won the 2022 World Series in six games over the Philadelphia Phillies for their first title since 2017. Cruz was a frequent attendee at the team's playoff games.
