A 48-year-old Michigan woman faces charges of unlawful imprisonment and abusing a vulnerable adult after allegedly confining her 58-year-old sister-in-law in a locked basement for about two years. The victim escaped on March 15 by breaking a neighbor's window to seek help. Police found evidence supporting her account of severe neglect.
Tasha Beamon was arrested last week following an incident on March 15 in the 1600 block of Gilbert Street in Saginaw. Officers responded to a vandalism call around 2 p.m. and encountered the frail 58-year-old woman, who said she had escaped from Beamon's nearby home where she had been held since about 2024. She broke a window with a metal pipe because no one was home, according to Saginaw Police Detective Sgt. Jeff Doud. The victim reported infrequent feeding, no access to water, and being kept on a mattress with a constantly blaring radio. A search of Beamon's home revealed a locked basement door that could not be opened from inside, a mattress, and urine containers, confirming limited access to food, water, bathroom, or shower facilities. Neighbor Colton Ehlow, whose window was broken, described the woman as 'skin and bones' and initially thought she was 78. 'She asks me to call the cops at first,' Ehlow said. Emergency responders took the victim to a hospital, where she was found severely malnourished and at risk of death if released. Beamon admitted to keeping the woman but claimed it was in an upstairs bedroom, a statement contradicted by evidence. Authorities suspect financial motives, as Beamon allegedly collected the victim's disability payments, Doud said. Beamon is held at Saginaw County Jail on $100,000 bond, with her next court appearance on April 20.