Houston man allegedly confined disabled wife to room for 5 years

HOUSTON (TCN) -- A man is facing felony charges after allegedly holding his wife captive in their home for five years, according to police.

On March 6, police arrested 46-year-old James Earl Johnson. According to Yahoo! News, during a motion for sufficient bail, he was accused of confining his wife to a room for five years. He made bail and was ordered not to come within 200 feet of the victim’s home. 

Police had received a 911 call on March 6 from Ruby Johnson, whose name was released by Click2Houston. She did not usually have access to a phone but managed to take Johnson’s phone and call 911 when he left it on the nightstand. AOL reports that Johnson allegedly caught her calling 911, slapped her, carried her back to bed, and hung up on dispatchers.

During an interview with authorities, Ruby Johnson, who is disabled, said she did not have access to food and medical care and was confined to a single room, given one egg a day until dinner.

AOL reports that Ruby Johnson had attempted to call 911 in November 2025. When police arrived, she told them that she and her children were not to speak to the police; officers never filed a report. 

According to Click2Houston, police have not released further details about Ruby Johnson’s condition following her rescue.

According to Yahoo! News, Johnson is scheduled to appear in court on March 18 to face felony charges of abandoning or endangering a disabled individual and causing injury to a disabled individual. AOL reports that if convicted, Johnson could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. 

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