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Homeless woman in Aransas Pass deemed nuisance by authorities

Police say it's an example of "someone falling through the cracks."

ARANSAS PASS (Kiii News) — A 52-year-old homeless woman in Aransas Pass has been labeled a habitual nuisance by law enforcement after being barred from many area businesses.

Police say it's an example of "someone falling through the cracks."

"This female has been banned from almost every business and location in town," Aransas Pass Police Chief Eric Blanchard said. "She's being described to us as not a very pleasant person to be around."

52-year-old Debra Carter openly admits she is hooked on heroin and desperately wants to get off it. She has a list of charges dating back to January of this year. Her most recent one happened Tuesday.

Chief Blanchard released an open letter via social media saying that they have tried to help Carter.

"We exhausted efforts to try to get her treatment. Tried to get Adult Protective Services to help her. We have tried MHMR even though she's not a mental health consumer, but we wanted to see if there was a thing there related to substance abuse and stuff of that nature," Blanchard said. "And at every angle we've turned, the system has failed."

"First of all, people are going to say what they want to anyway," Carter said.

3News caught up with Carter at a shopping center in Aransas Pass. She agreed to speak about her situation.

"I didn't ask to be in this chair. I can't walk. I wish I could but I can't," Carter said. "It breaks my heart that I can't and it breaks my heart that there's people out there that'll just put somebody down and slander somebody and not even know what their life's been like or what they've been through."

Carter said she arrived in Aransas Pass in 1994. She was married once and has a 30-year-old son who lives in Arkansas, but she fell into hard times. Now her wheelchair is her only mode of transportation.

In fact, her wheelchair is her home.

In Chief Blanchard's open letter, the chief said Carter has been rude and foul mouthed toward customers and staff, and heckles patrons for money.

Carter said her life on the streets has turned her into something she is not.

"There's about 20 things wrong with me. I'm developing renal failure," Carter said. "I'm going to be on dialysis pretty soon. They've got to take this left leg."

Blanchard said Carter has a warrant out for arrest in San Patricio County, where Sheriff Leroy Moody said Carter needs medical attention, not jail. He said he does not have the resources to provide her with that help.

For now, Carter said she will continue to live in her wheelchair and depend on the generosity of others.

"You know when you don't know that person's life, you don't know that person," Carter said.

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