After a harrowing month of uncertainty, 16-year-old Tasia Keaton, initially reported missing from a facility for vulnerable youth in Dearborn Heights, has been found safe, and a suspect is now in custody in connection with her disappearance. Keaton, who vanished from Vista Maria on March 14, was discovered in the apartment of a 62-year-old man at Warren and Inkster Roads, as confirmed by Dearborn Heights Police Chief Ahmed Haidar in a statement reported by ClickOnDetroit. The police department plans to provide further details in a news conference today.
Diving into the distressing days that preceded her safe recovery, security footage and community tips helped piece together a timeline where Keaton was seen lingering on Joy Road battling the bad weather and finding refuge in a shed, before enduring assaults at hotels including one in Redford, during her first couple days after running away, as the U.S. Marshals and Dearborn Heights Police elucidated in report by CBS News Detroit. Police Chief Haidar expressed immense relief at Keaton's safe retrieval, a sentiment echoed across the agencies involved in her search.
The youth facility where Tasia went missing, Vista Maria, is now under scrutiny not just for her disappearance but also because of the high number of emergency calls it's made. In 2024 alone, there were 368 calls, including reports of abuse. Former residents have backed up these claims, and the facility’s troubling history came to light during Keaton’s investigation, according to ClickOnDetroit.
