She’s barely five feet tall and rail thin, but 45-year-old homeless woman casts a long shadow over Portsmouth’s broken mental health system.
Severely mentally ill, and increasingly unstable, she sparked at least ten police responses in just a single week — including two arrests in three days, and countless missed chances for help.
But this isn’t new for her. It’s the same cycle — wandering, disturbing, arrested, released. Repeat. She’s not violent. She’s not high. She’s just profoundly unwell. And the system is failing her. Again.
🚨 A Weekend in Crisis: The Timeline
FRIDAY, JUNE 14
10:30 AM – Alexandria Point Park
Witnesses say Julia is cussing at a group of children. Police intervene and instruct her to stay away. She leaves.
8:45 PM – 10th Street
Residents report her trespassing. Officers catch up with her at 9:00 PM at Kroger and arrest her for disorderly conduct. She is booked into jail.
SATURDAY, JUNE 15
7:00 AM – 8th & Washington
Now back on the streets, she’s seen hiding in bushes, knocking on windows, and yelling. Officers say she appears high, but again, let her go.
2:00 PM – Front Street
Witnesses say she stole fishing poles and was seen walking toward the Carl Perkins Bridge. She is arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct and taken to jail.
Later That Day – River Road Campground
She’s accused of breaking into a camper and stealing items. The victim later spots her dancing in the street near the floodwall murals. She is taken into custody again — briefly.
SUNDAY, JUNE 16
11:20 AM – Toro Loco Restaurant
Julia is reportedly exposing herself to men and refusing to leave. By the time police arrive, she’s moved on. Officers catch up with her, but she’s fully clothed and not intoxicated, just mentally ill. No arrest.
1:00 PM – Toro Loco (Again)
Police are called back. Julia is inside the restaurant, causing a disturbance. An employee offers her food, but she spirals into a meltdown. Officers find her in the alley and again confirm: not intoxicated, just severely mentally ill. They let her go.
MONDAY, JUNE 17
Released again. Back on the streets.
Sound familiar? Because it seems an awful lot like last weekend
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
7:00 AM – Shawnee Boat Club
Julia is seen wandering along the break wall, talking to herself. No law broken, no help offered.
7:30 PM – Shawnee Boat Club (Again)
She returns — now described by witnesses as “tweaked out of her head.” With Portsmouth officers tied up, Shawnee State University Police check in and determine she’s simply “being her normal self.” No action taken.
9:00 PM – 2nd Street
More reports of her talking to herself, confused and disoriented. Officers recognize her immediately — but again, do nothing.
10:00 PM – Daehler Mortuary
She’s found rambling and allegedly says she “could kill someone if she wanted to.” Officers find no drugs or alcohol in her system — just untreated mental illness. She’s left to wander again.
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
Evening – Deadbolt Escape Rooms, Jefferson Street
Witnesses report her yelling and throwing things at employees. Officers respond and tell her to move along.
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
10 PM – River Road Campground – The woman was accused of breaking into a camper and stealing multiple items. The victim later spotted her dancing in the street near the floodwall murals. Only then was she taken into custody.
The Bigger Picture
She isn’t dangerous — but she is unwell and unhoused. She’s unwanted by nearly every system meant to help her.
She’s been banned from counseling centers, turned away by rehabs, and rejected even when begging for help. Her name appears over and over in Portsmouth police logs.
In the past two years, she’s been:
- Arrested for stealing a truck
- Smashing windows with a bat
- Breaking into homes
- Harassing business patrons
- Wandering into yards and scaring families
Yet each time she’s arrested, she’s released — often with a suspended fine, probation, or nothing at all. Why? Because courts are bound to issue the “least restrictive sentence,” and there’s nowhere for her to go. The nearest inpatient psychiatric facility is in Athens — a 90-bed center serving multiple counties.
What If She Were a Dog?
Imagine this scenario with an animal:
The Dog Warden removes a neglected pet, then releases it back onto the street — no food, no shelter, no medical care. The public would be outraged. But for her? She gets dropped off on a random street corner as a matter of standard practice.
Portsmouth’s Ticking Time Bomb
Police are doing what they can — we’ve documented numerous times where officers drive around town trying to find her and other troubled people help. But the resources just aren’t there.
And the city? Still debating task forces and studies, while women like her spiral closer to disaster.
Ask yourself:
What happens next?
Who takes responsibility when “next time” is the last time?
Portsmouth, the time to act is now — before she becomes a headline none of us can forget.
