Just before dawn on a quiet Tuesday morning, a Portsmouth man woke up to find his pickup truck missing from 10th Street. By 7 a.m., he’d tracked it down himself to the corner of 7th and Broadway — and was holding the alleged thief at gunpoint when he called 911.
Within minutes, Portsmouth Police officers swarmed the scene and arrested the woman behind the wheel: Julia Thomas, a familiar name to anyone who’s followed local police reports in recent years. Officers quickly identified her and charged her with receiving stolen property, booking her into the Scioto County Jail.
But this is no high-stakes criminal caper. This is the latest chapter in a tragic, ongoing cycle — a woman suffering from severe mental illness, caught in a revolving door between the streets, the jail, and the court system.
A Known Face. A Known Struggle.
Julia Thomas isn’t your average repeat offender. She is homeless, mentally ill, and chronically in crisis. Police have dozens of reports involving her — incidents that paint a picture not of malice, but of desperation and deterioration.
Last October, she was arrested for shouting and throwing things in public. A few months before that, she smashed a window with a baseball bat and took off down Grandview Avenue. Just minutes later, another caller reported her on a porch with the bat, heading toward Mound Park.
In August, Thomas was arrested at The Counseling Center — a mental health facility — after returning despite being served a no-trespass order. In December of 2023, she walked into two different homes in one weekend. Businesses across Portsmouth have repeatedly called the police when she wandered in, confused and disoriented.
In just the last two years, Thomas has faced at over a dozen court dates for criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
Despite these run-ins, officers consistently note the same thing: She is not a violent criminal. She is a woman in need of help.
Jailed Again — But What Then?
Thomas is due back in Portsmouth Municipal Court on May 29. But those who’ve followed her story are asking the same painful question: Will this time be any different?
So far, the courts have chosen to release her again and again, citing minor, non-violent charges. Yet each time she’s turned back out onto the streets, she deteriorates further — and the calls to police keep coming.
This isn’t just about crime. It’s about a system that can’t or won’t intervene meaningfully in cases like Julia’s. Her arrests aren’t a solution — they’re a symptom of a deeper failure to provide sustained mental health care.
A Bigger Issue
Thomas’s story isn’t unique. Across Ohio and the nation, mentally ill individuals are falling through the cracks — and often only receive care when handcuffed.
As Portsmouth grapples with homelessness, addiction, and mental health crises, the city is considering legislation to form a Homeless Task Force. The hope is that such a group could begin crafting real solutions for people like Julia — before the next arrest, the next crisis, the next 911 call.
One Final Question
The people of Portsmouth — and the leaders they elect — must ask: How many times does Julia Thomas have to be arrested before someone steps in and actually helps her?
This time, let’s not wait for another headline.
