A Houston man faces a felony charge after prosecutors say he confined his wife in a locked bedroom for five years with little food and no way to call for help.
HOUSTON — A Houston man was arrested Friday and charged with felony abandonment of an elderly or disabled person and injury to an elderly or disabled person after prosecutors say he kept his disabled wife confined to a bedroom for five years with no phone access, inadequate food and no way to escape in an emergency.
James Earl Johnson, 46, of Clear Lake, was taken into custody the same day the incident was reported. A Harris County grand jury is hearing the case.
According to the charging document filed by the District Attorney’s office, Johnson allegedly locked the woman in a room without access to adequate nutrition, medical care or a way to leave in an emergency.
The affidavit says Johnson’s actions exposed the victim to an “unreasonable risk of harm” and placed her “in imminent danger of death and bodily injury and physical impairment and mental impairment.”
The victim was able to call 911 after Johnson left his phone on a nightstand. When Johnson discovered the call, he slapped her and carried her back to bed after hanging up on the 911 dispatcher, according to bond hearing notes.
Prosecutors say that during the five-year confinement, Johnson would leave his wife one egg and feed her some dinner, with no other regular access to food or outside communication.
The charge, abandoning an elderly or disabled person, is a felony in Texas.
His bond was set at $50,000 for his injury to an elderly or disabled person charge and $50,000 for his abandonment charge.
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