Grand Jury won’t indict Texas man for pelting Sen. Ted Cruz with beer cans during Astros parade

A grand jury has decided not to indict a Houston man for pelting Sen. Ted Cruz with beer cans during the Astros’ World Series parade late last year.

Joseph Halm Arcidiacono, 33, had faced charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for hurling the projectiles. However, a grand jury on Friday opted not to move forward, according to records obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

During the Nov. 7 parade, Cruz and his family rode in the back of a military vehicle, waving to revelers. Members of the crowd greeted the Republican senator with boos and extended middle fingers — a not-uncommon occurrence during his public appearances.

Footage from the event showed a pair of cans sail at Cruz, and Houston police later tweeted that he’d been hit in the chest and neck area but required no medical attention. Arcidiacono was subsequently arrested and released on $40,000 bail, according to media reports.

Arcidiacono’s attorneys told the grand jury their client went the parade with the hope that he could toss an Astros player a cold one, which he could pop open and quaff. The fan had simply tried to get Cruz to partake in the same celebratory stunt, they argued.

“Many generous, fun, semi-stupid, legendary moments have happened during Astros Championship Parades. … Fans throw cans to people in championship parades all the time,” Arcidiacono’s lawyers said in a tweeted statement. “That is a widely known thing. To get them to chug.”

Coming soon: SA Current Daily newsletter. We’ll send you a handful of interesting San Antonio stories every morning. Subscribe now to not miss a thing.

Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Related Stories

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas booed during Houston Astros championship parade

Cruz was also booed during Game 4 of the American League Championship at New York’s Yankee Stadium last month.

Sen. Ted Cruz flipped off, told to ‘go back to Cancún’ when he attends New York Yankees game

The following day, Cruz appeared on The View, where he refused to admit Biden won the 2020 election.

Firestarter: Ted Cruz’s cynical election gambit helped ignite the Capitol riot

High-profile Texas Democrat O’Rourke entering academia after three failed political campaigns

He’ll teach a class at the University of Chicago on the present state and future of U.S. democracy.

Sen. Ted Cruz most likely not running for president, instead focused on seeking third term

Cruz is seeking a third term even though he filed a constitutional amendment last month that would limit senators’ terms to two.

Houston Astros fans blame Ted Cruz for team’s loss to Texas Rangers

Some on social media speculate that the ‘Cruz Curse’ could sink the Republican’s reelection bid.

Fans blame ‘Cruz Curse’ for Texas Longhorns’ Sugar Bowl loss

Ted Cruz has attended 17 sporting events since 2017. The teams he was rooting for lost 15 of those games, according to one online sports account.

This article appears in Dec 28, 2022 – Jan 10, 2023.