A quiet Saginaw neighborhood is now at the center of a harrowing criminal case after police say a 58-year-old woman escaped from a basement where she had been confined for nearly two years. Investigators say the woman, severely malnourished and desperate for help, smashed a neighbor's window in mid-March and begged for someone to call 911. The man accused of holding her, identified by authorities as 48-year-old Tasha Beamon, is now facing counts of unlawful imprisonment and first-degree vulnerable adult abuse.
How police say the escape unfolded
Officers were called around 2 p.m. on March 15 to the 1600 block of Gilbert Street after a resident reported that an unknown woman had broken a window and was refusing to leave, according to WNEM. The 58-year-old told officers she had forced her way out of a nearby house where, she said, she had been held against her will for roughly two years. She told police she intentionally broke the neighbor's glass so that someone inside would contact authorities. Detectives later identified her as a vulnerable adult and opened a full criminal investigation.
Basement conditions described by investigators
When investigators searched the Saginaw home, they reported finding a locked door leading to the basement, a bare mattress on the floor, a radio that had allegedly been left playing around the clock, and containers they believe were used as toilets, according to Law & Crime. At the hospital, medical staff told authorities the woman was so severely malnourished that she likely would have died if she had been released without treatment, the outlet reported. Police say the evidence pointed to prolonged neglect and helped form the basis of the abuse charge.
Charges and custody status
Prosecutors authorized charges against Beamon on April 2, and officers arrested her the same day and booked her into the Saginaw County Jail, WNEM reported. Beamon is charged with unlawful imprisonment and first-degree vulnerable adult abuse. According to court records and police reports, she initially told investigators the woman slept in an upstairs bedroom, a claim detectives say was not backed up by what they found inside the home.
Prosecutors: Motive and next steps
Investigators told prosecutors they suspect Beamon may have been holding her sister-in-law in order to collect the woman's disability payments, according to the coverage. A judge has set bond at $100,000, and Beamon is scheduled for a preliminary examination on April 20, as reported by Law & Crime. Saginaw detectives say they are still gathering evidence and coordinating with social service agencies to support the victim as the case moves forward.
Follow the case
Saginaw Police Chief Bob Ruth has publicly commended officers for their response and urged anyone with additional information to come forward, according to local coverage. A short video segment from CBS Detroit includes the department's statement and a rundown of the alleged escape. Authorities are asking anyone with tips to contact the Saginaw Police Department.
