A Columbus robbery suspect is now facing a second felony charge after police say she spit in the face of an officer while being processed into custody. Three officers had taken 33-year-old Brenna Tafoya into custody on a fresh robbery charge on Monday when the alleged spitting incident occurred at the James A. Karnes Correction Center.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, officers were advised of an assault on a police officer after Tafoya allegedly spit in the face of one of the officers escorting her. Police reported the incident during processing at the James A. Karnes Correction Center on Fisher Road, and Tafoya was subsequently listed in the department's arrest update on a charge of harassment with a bodily substance, in addition to the robbery charge that brought her into custody in the first place.
What the Added Charge Means Under Ohio Law
Under Ohio Revised Code § 2921.38, expelling saliva or another bodily substance onto a law enforcement officer with intent to harass or alarm constitutes harassment with a bodily substance, a fifth-degree felony. That statute exists specifically to protect officers from bodily fluid exposure during the course of their duties, according to the Ohio Revised Code. A conviction on that charge carries a potential penalty of six to 12 months in prison and a fine of up to $2,500 under Ohio sentencing guidelines outlined in ORC § 2929.14 and § 2929.18, though judges retain discretion to impose community control sanctions instead of prison time depending on a defendant's criminal history.
Separately, Ohio Revised Code § 2746.02 allows courts to order defendants charged with harassment with a bodily substance to reimburse the full cost of medical testing for the officer who was exposed. Those evaluations are meant to assess the risk of infectious disease transmission following contact with bodily fluids. It remains unknown whether the officer involved in Monday's incident required medical treatment or testing, and the dossier does not specify further details on that front.
The Robbery Charge That Brought Her Into Custody
The robbery charge that originally landed Tafoya in police custody remains separate from the harassment count. The specific details of the underlying robbery that led to Tafoya's arrest have not been disclosed.
Public arrest records reviewed by BustedNewspaper show Tafoya has multiple prior bookings in the region, including in Franklin County in July 2024 and January 2026, as well as in Montgomery County in May 2025. That documented history of prior arrests could factor into how a judge approaches bail and sentencing decisions at arraignment, though the dossier does not indicate what, if any, bail has been set in this case.
Inside the Karnes Correction Center
The incident took place at the James A. Karnes Correction Center on Fisher Road. The facility won a 2024 Building Columbus Award for its specialized medical, mental health, and re-entry design, according to DLZ, which noted the $297 million facility was built as a national model for inmate behavioral management. The 400 block of South High Street sits within downtown Columbus's justice corridor, where county court and intake services are clustered — an area where the older, four-story former Karnes building at 410 S. High St. was slated in March for demolition to make way for a new $300 million Municipal Court tower, as Hoodline previously reported on the justice tower plans.
The incident involved bodily fluids directed at an officer during booking. It highlights that physical confrontations can remain a hazard during routine handling and processing.
The Columbus Division of Police is a municipal law enforcement agency. The department's broader crime trends are not detailed here. Tafoya's case now moves through the arraignment process on both the robbery and harassment charges, with the underlying robbery details and any bail determination still unresolved.
