Teenager Goes Blind After Friend Throws Cleaning Powder In His Eyes

An autistic Texas teen could face permanent blindness after his so-called friend allegedly threw a drain unblocker in his face.

The Friendswood Police Department says on May 20, 17-year-old Branden Jolly attacked his autistic friend Brody Morgan, 18, with a “white powder substance.”

It is said that the two teenagers were walking in the Jolly area at the time of the incident when another friend joined them.

During the trio's stroll through suburban Houston, one of Morgan's peers is alleged to have stolen a package from a home, according to ABC13.

Court documents obtained by the outlet say a “container filled with a powdered substance” was inside and that Jolly then “threw” the contents down the autistic teen's shirt.

Officials say Morgan then “pushed Jolly to create distance” and prevent “any further contact” with the chemical.

However, police say this decision prompted Jolly to “[throw] the elements of the container on the face of the male victim, causing him severe eye pain.

Following the incident, Morgan was taken home by his friends where his mother, Amy Morgan, tried to flush his eyes with saline and water.

Although she initially suspected salt was present, the victim's mother put her son in the car and drove him to the hospital.

“All I heard was that something was thrown in his face, I was told it was salt,” she said.

“We went to the emergency room and they immediately realized it wasn't salt, and they kept trying to ask me what it was, and I had no idea.”

It is alleged that doctors later learned that the chemical that caked Morgan's eyes was not salt, but a drain blocker.

Two days after the incident, the Friendswood Police Department arrested Jolly and the Harris County District Attorney's Office accepted criminal charges for injury to a disabled person.

Jolly reportedly escaped house arrest after prosecutors demanded that sum be added to his now $300,000 bail, the Daily Mail reports.

Following the incident, the alleged perpetrator's family told ABC13 they were “distraught” by the details of the case.

“I am very saddened by this entire event and my thoughts are with Brody and his family,” they said in a statement.

“I believe this incident was NOT a malicious act by my son to harm his friend, but an accident resulting from the choices made by all parties involved.”

In response, the victim's mother sympathized with Jolly's relatives and said the situation would be “tough for them”.

“It’s his mother. She’s going to try to protect her son and I don’t blame her,” she said.

“But they don’t have to take care of a child who might lose their sight or suffer facial burns.”

She added that autistic children “don't always know how to make good choices between friends” and that he was moved to a burns unit.

It is unknown if Morgan will permanently lose his sight and it is stated that his healing process is unpredictable.

Featured image credit: ABC 13/Friendswood Police Department

Topics: US News, Crime, Police, Texas