HOUSTON — A man accused of slapping a 12-year-old boy was arrested in Deer Park over the weekend.
James Peace, 37, is charged with injury to a child under 15.
The victim and his friend told police they were walking home from school in the 2800 block of Santa Fe when a man pulled up beside them. The boys recognized a girl in the passenger seat as a classmate.
The boys said the man jumped out of the car and began shouting at them, accusing them of picking on his stepdaughter at school. He then slapped one of the boys and drove away, according to police.
The victim who was slapped said he was afraid to tell his parents what happened because the suspect warned him he would beat up anyone he told.
The next day, the victim told his teacher he was afraid to go to lunch because he didn’t want to see the suspect’s stepdaughter. He then told the teacher what happened and police were called.
Police tracked down surveillance video from a home on Santa Fe Trail, along with a witness who said she saw the whole thing.
When officers went to Peace’s home in La Porte, they say his stepdaughter admitted she saw Peace hit the boy. She told the officers the boys were bullying her at school and calling her names.
Peace initially denied the allegations until police told them the incident was caught on camera. He then confessed.
