HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Police say a woman who got people to give her money by claiming to be a domestic violence victim has been arrested for the second time this year.

Joanna King was arrested Oct. 16 for jumping bail after failing to appear in court on an aggregate theft charge connected to what prosecutors describe as an incident that lasted multiple years.

From March 2023 to July 2025, police say King raised more than $3,000 from 12 different women by telling them she needed money for a place to stay after fleeing an abusive husband.

She was frequently accompanied by four children, several victims tell Eyewitness News.

"My heart went out to her. She's got kids crying in the car. I'm a retired teacher, and I just felt that this woman really needed help," Deborah Fontaine said.

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