King County judge lifts bail to $500,000 after stalking suspect misses court date

Judge Nelson Lee issued a new arrest warrant for Ingrid Johnson on Wednesday after she failed to appear for her arraignment. The King County Superior Court judge raised her bail from $150,000 to $500,000. Johnson faces charges of felony stalking, felony cyber harassment, and making a false statement to a public servant.

Johnson was originally booked on Oct. 14 at her parents' home in Anacortes. While held in Skagit County Jail, her parents used their home as collateral to secure her release on the initial bail amount. Court records indicate she was scheduled to stand before Judge Lee on Wednesday. Instead, she sent the court a message claiming she had contracted norovirus.

Lee rejected the medical evidence provided by Johnson. The documentation consisted of a text exchange with an online nurse. In that exchange, Johnson listed general symptoms and asked if she might have the flu or norovirus. The nurse responded that it could be norovirus. Lee called the submission lacking in credibility and noted a long history of Johnson defying court orders.

The judge offered Johnson the option to appear via video link, but she never logged on. Lee expressed concern that Johnson's mental condition placed the victim at risk. He stated that her escalating behavior led him to worry she might act out her threats. He noted that he considered raising the bail to $1 million before settling on the current figure.

Prosecutors describe a pattern of protection order violations stemming from family court proceedings with Johnson's ex-husband. Charging documents allege that Johnson repeatedly tried to persuade police to arrest her ex-husband by claiming he had kidnapped their son. Prosecutors noted that the father had legal custody and that Johnson was granted two hours of supervised visitation per week, which she did not use. Investigators also documented messages in which Johnson threatened to kill her ex-husband and stab his eyes.

A June 19, 2025, incident involved Johnson texting her ex-husband screenshots of his medical records. She threatened to publish them on LinkedIn if he did not comply with her demands. Police collected these messages as evidence. In August 2025, Judge Monica Cary issued an order restricting Johnson's filings after finding she engaged in a knowing and willful pattern of abusive litigation. Prosecutors said Johnson used artificial intelligence to generate filings containing incorrect legal citations.

Even while on warrant status, Johnson continued to file motions and pleadings electronically. Lee described these filings as nonsensical and indicative of significant mental health issues. He noted that she did not attempt to resolve the warrant before bombarding the court with new documents. If convicted, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison for felony stalking and five years for cyber harassment. Authorities have asked the public to call 911 with information on her whereabouts. CrimeStoppers of Puget Sound is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for tips leading to her arrest.