Ted Cruz hit with beer can during Astros World Series parade in Houston: man arrested
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
The senator from Texas was not hurt. The aggravated assault has been charged against a defendant.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was hit with a beer can during the Houston Astros’ World Series victory parade on Monday, and authorities said a suspect was arrested on Tuesday.
Cruz was on a float in Houston’s 2400 block of Smith Street when the can was thrown, according to Houston police.
“The beer can struck the Senator in the chest/neck area,” police said, adding that he was not injured.
Cruz revealed on Twitter that the projectile was a can of White Claw, a malt alcohol with a beer base that is also known as alcopop or malternative drinks.
Boos can be heard from the parade crowd as Cruz drives by, standing in the back of a military-style vehicle, in a video posted on social media. People in the vehicle try to shield him from a can that is hurtling toward his head.
The suspect was identified as Joseph Halm Arcidiacono, who was charged with aggravated assault.
Harris County prosecutors alleged in court documents Tuesday that the defendant “threw two unopened twelve-ounce liquor cans at Senator Ted Cruz during the Astros championship parade, striking the senator and causing him pain; the defendant threw the two cans from approximately twenty feet away.”
“The beer can struck the Senator in the chest/neck area,” read a tweet from Houston police. “The Senator did not require medical attention.”
Sen. Cruz, who lives in Houston, attended several World Series games as well as the celebration. He was riding in the back of a military vehicle, waving at the crowd. A video on social media shows the crowd booing Cruz, and a can is eventually seen flying straight at him.
