Charges dropped in assault on Tucson 14-year-old, suspect admits he hit boy | Local News

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – New developments have emerged in the case of a 14-year-old who was assaulted and robbed while walking to a school bus stop in midtown Tucson on Sept. 15.

News 4 Tucson has learned that the charges of assault and robbery against Joshua Dale Pierce, 42, have been dropped. The Pima County Attorney’s Office requested the dismissal of the charges in county court.

Pierce admitted on social media to Chief Investigative Reporter Chorus Nylander that he hit the boy but said he didn’t know the boy’s age and apologized.

The boy suffered a chipped tooth and a cut underneath his right eye, according to police reports.

Pierce claimed he thought the boy was stealing from his truck. However, investigators found no evidence to support this claim, according to court documents.

News 4 Tucson has reached out to the Pima County Attorney’s Office to learn more about the dismissal but has not yet received a response.

Court officials said that the charges could potentially be refiled in Superior Court within the next six months.

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