For five years, a disabled woman was kept locked inside a bedroom of the $1 million Houston home she shared with her husband and children – surviving on as little as a single egg a day, authorities said.
The victim was finally rescued Friday morning only after her husband James Earl Johnson accidentally left his phone on a nightstand, giving her a chance to call 911. But the desperate call was cut short.
Johnson reportedly slapped his wife, carried her back to bed and disconnected her call with the 911 dispatcher before police could intervene, according to Harris County criminal court documents.
Johnson, 46, was arrested Friday and charged with injury to a disabled individual and abandoning or endangering a child, elderly individual or disabled individual.
Investigators discovered the victim had no access to a phone, regular or consistent food, or adequate medical care, according to a probable cause order obtained by The Independent. Investigators allege Johnson left her just one egg a day and occasionally brought her dinner.
Her adult son told KTRK that she remained hospitalized Monday but did not give additional details on her condition or the nature of her disability.
It’s unclear if the adult son knew about the alleged abuse, but neighbors were reportedly unaware the woman was being held captive inside the 6,783-square-foot mansion, the Daily Mail reported.
But according to court documents, the woman had reportedly tried to alert authorities in the past.
On November 16, police were called to the home, but when they arrived, the woman told them she and her children had been instructed to stay quiet and not speak to police. Officers left without filing a report.
Court records also show the victim previously filed cases against Johnson in Harris County family court in 2001 and 2002 seeking child support, though the outcomes of those filings remain sealed.
Johnson, who works as a full-time master electrician earning about $18,000 per month, purchased the five-bedroom, eight-bathroom home in 2015 and had lived there with his wife for at least six years, according to county property records.
Johnson was released from jail on a $50,000 bond and ordered to stay away from the victim and their home on Crown Ridge Court in Clear Lake, court records show. If convicted, Johnson could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. He is due back in court on March 18.
