Troubled Homeless Woman Put Back on the Street — Then Arrested Again

Portsmouth police dealt with the same homeless woman multiple times in just a few days, beginning with a tiny fire near 20th Street and Scioto Trail, continuing with a trespass arrest at King’s Daughters Medical Center, and later ending with another arrest after she was found sleeping in a locked laundry room at Farley Square. Officers were first called around 1 a.m. for a report of a fire. When they arrived, police found the fire was very small, and an officer put it out. Police spoke with Faith Wright Johnson and noted that she appeared to have mental health issues. However, officers said she did not appear to be a danger to herself or others at that time. A few hours later, around 3:45 a.m., police were called to King’s Daughters Medical Center after a report that the same woman was causing a disturbance on the lot. This time, officers read Miranda rights and took Wright Johnson into custody. She was booked into the Scioto County Jail on a charge of criminal trespass. Wright Johnson appeared in Portsmouth Municipal Court and was released on her own recognizance. A pretrial hearing was set for Sept. 17. Court records show Wright Johnson was also arrested for disorderly conduct in June. She pleaded guilty in that case and was sentenced to a suspended fine. Records also show a longer arrest history involving tampering with evidence, drug abuse, theft, and obstructing official business. In 2024, Wright Johnson was convicted of disorderly conduct four times. Court records at that time also listed her as homeless. Later that same day, Wright Johnson contacted police from Tracy Park, a common gathering spot for Portsmouth’s homeless population, to report that someone had stolen her phone. About 15 minutes later, she called back and said she had found it. Then officers were called again after a woman was found asleep in the laundry room at Farley Square. According to the police log, PMHA was contacted because the laundry room had reportedly been closed since Friday and no one should have been able to get inside. PMHA sent someone to unlock the door. When officers checked on the woman, they said she was awake and alert. Police then checked whether Wright Johnson was on the barred list. Officers later took her into custody. The calls highlight a familiar pattern for Portsmouth police, hospitals, courts, housing officials, and residents: the same struggling people cycling through public spaces, hospital lots, parks, apartment complexes, police calls, and courtrooms. Sometimes the issue is a tiny fire. Sometimes it is trespassing. Sometimes it is a missing phone that was not really missing. And sometimes it is someone sleeping in a locked laundry room where they were not supposed to be. But the larger problem remains the same. When someone is homeless, dealing with mental health concerns, and repeatedly showing up in police reports, the court can release them on low-level charges, but that does not mean the underlying problem has gone anywhere. It just means they are back outside until the next call.

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