Philadelphia woman wrongfully imprisoned for Texas crimes for mistaken identity – NBC10 Philadelphia

A Philadelphia woman has spent nearly a week in prison after being wrongfully arrested for a crime in Texas for mistaking her identity.

The ordeal began last May with a shoplifting incident at a sports store in Webster, Texas. Webster Police identified the suspect as a woman named Julie Hudson.

Surveillance photos of the suspect resembled social media images of a 31-year-old PHD student from Philadelphia, also known as Julie Hudson.

Ms. Hudson was unaware that she had been falsely identified as a shoplifting suspect, but soon found herself repeatedly denied work. I found out

When Hudson visited the Philadelphia Police Department to find out why, she was arrested and taken into custody on January 5.

After her arrest, Hudson’s family contacted law enforcement in both Texas and Philadelphia to release her.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Texas filed a motion Tuesday to dismiss the charges against Hudson for lack of evidence.

A spokesman for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said, “We accept the indictment based on sworn evidence presented by law enforcement.” Webster Police on Tuesday informed the court of the error. We dismissed the case and immediately contacted the Philadelphia Police Department to release Ms Hudson from custody.”

NBC10 reached out to Philadelphia police on Wednesday after being contacted by Hudson’s family.

A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Police Department said, “PPD became aware that the warrant had been denied after a media inquiry on January 11, 2023, at approximately 5:00 pm.” We have requested that Ms. Hudson be released from custody immediately and are actively working with the Philadelphia Prison Service to process her release in the expeditious manner possible.”

Hudson was eventually released late Wednesday night, but her family told NBC10 that her wrongdoing should be taken off the record.

Hudson’s sister, Charon Hudson, said: “If it wasn’t for the media and press, no one would have taken the time they have today.

The family is also considering legal action.

“Julie just happened to have a family she could gather information on if she needed to raise money,” Hudson said. “There are a lot of people out there who don’t have it, and it struck a chord with me.”