Texas mom jailed over dirty water Facebook post

Fox ^ | 06 10 2026 | Kurt Knutsson

[yesthatjallen]

Jennifer Combs says she never set out to become the face of a fight over free speech, dirty water and small-town power. She says she was simply trying to help people in Trinidad, Texas, report problems with their water. Some residents had complained about discoloration, sediment, odors and health concerns. So Combs used her Southern Belle Watch Facebook page to collect reports and send them to the state.

Then, according to Combs, the situation took a turn that still sounds hard to believe. She says police came to her home and arrested her on a felony warrant over a Facebook post.

"I've never even had a speeding ticket," Combs said. "I'm a mom of four kids. I have one grandbaby right now. I have two more grandbabies on the way."

Now, Combs says her arrest has become about something much bigger than one Facebook post.

SNIP

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TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: facebook; police; texas; water

[yesthatjallen]

This one has me scratching my head.

Why does facebook believe they have a right to censor factual news content?

Why did the police believe they had cause to arrest her?

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

People in UK: Whoop-tee-doo! Welcome to our world!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

More seriously: I hope she gets out and gets a good attorney pro bono to sue their brains out. She’ll be set for life!

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

This sounds like something from Formerly Great Britain, not Texas. Is this town run by rats?

[Drago]

They supposedly got her for “felony false alarm or report” because she stated that bacteria in the water got people hospitilized. Meanwhile the police chief is gone now....more info. at these links:

https://www.fox4news.com/news/woman-arrested-facebook-post-concerning-trinidad-water-poisoning

https://www.kltv.com/2026/06/08/trinidad-police-chief-resigns-midst-water-controversy/

[anton]

All water is dirty, usually not dirty enough to make ordinary people sick. But there will be million of identifiable bacteria and impurities in ever gallon of tap water. As for the hospital people go there all the time with unspecified dyspepsia. I’d bet the UK has 10,000 ER visits per year on intestinal disorders of unknown origin.

[dfwgator]

She’s not from Boston.

[KarlInOhio]

So the contractor in charge of the water system filed the complaint against her and she was arrested. Then later a protester at City Hall was arrested for disorderly conduct for offending a water clerk. When she refused to sign a statement that the protester offended her she was fired. Then a judge dropped the disorderly conduct charge against the protestor, so the city fired the judge. And the city attorney was fired the same night. The city now refuses comment on this case because it should be handled in a court of law. Apparently they haven't fired all of their judges.

Any bets in whether elections in this city are as honest as Los Angeles'? With a population of 860, I wonder how much of the town revenue comes from running speed traps on the local highway.

[nevadapatriot]

So it’s not her home

[Drago]

Make that “hospitalized”, sorry. I guess they arrested her for the “yell fire in a crowded theater” type statute. She would have been better off just referring people to the city’s “annual water quality report” (looks like they don’t do one in Trinidad tho.) or to the EPA report on the city water or the leftie “EWG” website on the subject:

https://www.trinidadtexas.gov/utility-department

https://waterutilityreport.com/utilities/city-of-trinidad/records

https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=TX1070004

[TigersEye]

Sounds like an utterly crooked little town.
By rights she should end up owning it.

[Keyhopper]

So, the water purveyor violates the clean water act and AWWA water standards.,. Yeah, she’s got a case.
Whistle blower might apply

[VanShuyten]

“ By rights she should end up owning it.”

She’ll have to share it with the fired clerk and judge, and maybe the city attorney and police chief, who also lost their jobs.

[Sequoyah101]

That dolt looks like a typical Texas goober. I hope they all get their asses sued off.

[GingisK]

I don’t allow germs in my tap water. I just refuse them.

[OldHarbor]

The 2nd link , that town hall where the residents are addressing the council, people were mad as hell and aren’t going to take it any more.

[Ken H]

“She’ll have to share it with the fired clerk and judge, and maybe the city attorney and police chief, who also lost their jobs.”

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The police chief resigned. Sounds like he was one of the bad actors.

[sockmonkey]

The police chief has resigned. False arrest.

[healy61]

Population of 861 with 360 household. She should run for a village council seat along with several others to cover all upcoming elections at the village level.

[healy61]

I wonder where chief Goober is working today?