Charges dismissed against man allegedly seen on video attacking multiple women in Montrose

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Charges have been dropped against the man arrested earlier this year for a series of attacks on women in Montrose, ABC13 has learned.

It's part of a deal signed Tuesday, in which Troy Johnson pleaded guilty to a 2023 robbery charge in exchange for four years of deferred adjudication.

Johnson was arrested in February and charged with attacking five women. In a video Eyewitness News aired in February, you can see him approaching a woman as she walks down Roseland and insisting she give him money. She can then be heard screaming off-camera as Johnson approaches.

In another video, Johnson can be seen riding on a bicycle and taunting another person with, "Ching, chang, chong, (expletive)."

One woman told Eyewitness News in February that Johnson tried to punch her after she declined to give him a dollar while she was walking on Marshall.

Several victims said they learned about the charges being dropped Thursday after Eyewitness News contacted them.

"I think with all due respect, this defendant got the courthouse, he got the concession rights, and I think he got the oil rights to the land under the courthouse," legal analyst Brian Wice said.

At the time of the attacks, Johnson was already on probation for a 2022 aggravated assault charge, which was also dismissed as part of the deal reached Tuesday.

The deal was signed off on by visiting Judge Mark Kent Ellis after being transferred to mental health court.

"Deep inside, he's not a bad guy, not a guy who's out there looking to harm people," said Johnson's attorney, William Van Buren.

Van Buren said Johnson's criminal history only tells part of the story and doesn't take into account his battle with mental illness.

"He was doing bad acts, but he didn't understand why he was doing them or when he was doing them," Van Buren said.

Although the charges have been dropped, Van Buren said Johnson will remain in some form of custody for the next four months, where he'll get help from the Critical Time Intervention program.

For the next four years, Johnson will be on probation. Van Buren said he's also started taking medication.

"He's on his medication because he's locked up," said Andy Kahan, a victims' advocate with Crime Stoppers.

Kahan questions if Johnson will really live a crime-free life after being released, given the charges he racked up the last time he was on probation.

"You didn't comply with any of your rules and conditions of probation, but instead of revoking your probation or even extending your probation, we're just gonna cut you loose," said Kahan.

If Johnson commits another crime during the next four years, he'll be convicted in the 2023 robbery case and could face a sentence of up to 20 years.

ABC13 reached out to the DA's office, who responded with the following statement:

"The Harris County District Attorney's Office believes mental illness can often be a contributing factor to criminal behavior. In some cases, one way to protect the community is to address the root causes of what brought an individual into the criminal justice system, in an effort to prevent future victims and crimes. After several months in the Harris County Jail, Mr. Johnson has been ordered to complete an intensive in-patient mental health treatment program. He will then continue being monitored by mental health providers while on community supervision. Prosecutors in this case have been in communication with the victims."

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