Police arrives to catch Michigan woman for vandalism, instead finds she was allegedly held captive in basement for 2 years by sister-in-law

A Michigan woman has been arrested after allegedly keeping her sister-in-law locked up for two years. Tasha Beamon, 48, was charged with unlawful imprisonment and first-degree vulnerable adult abuse after a woman claimed to have escaped captivity in her basement.

Police were first alerted to the horrific case on March 15 after being called out to an address on the 1600 block of Gilbert Street for what they believed to be a standard case of vandalism. According to an article from People, the occupants of the property had called 911 after having a window smashed. They also claimed that the woman who did it was still lurking outside.

Upon arrival they discovered the woman was indeed still outside but she quickly explained that she had been held captive in a house nearby and had escaped. Apparently she smashed the window in the hopes that the occupants would call the police and she could get their attention.

Beamon allegedly kept the woman locked in the basement

Thankfully, her plan worked and she was taken to a nearby hospital. The alleged victim, 58, told officers that her sister-in-law had been keeping her captive in the basement of the home against her will for two years. The conditions of the basement she was kept in were pretty bad and she was practically starved. She also allegedly wasn’t given access to any water. 

Police described the 58-year-old woman as a vulnerable adult, Beamon was supposed to be her caretaker but it seems she wasn’t adhering to her duties in the slightest. The sister-in-law was also hospitalized for severe malnutrition. There haven’t been any other reported medical issues although there also isn’t much more detail regarding her current condition.

When authorities went to the house to investigate they found quite a disturbing scene. In the basement where she claimed to have been held captive they found a mattress, a bucket filled with urine, and a locked door during the search. Tasha Beamon was questioned before being arrested and booked into the Saginaw county jail on April 2. She is currently being held on a $100,000 bond.

As of writing there has been no real explanation or motive for Beamon’s alleged mistreatment. While it may be a case of outright neglect we’ll have to wait until she’s formally convicted or put on trial. Whether there will be a trial or not is unclear, but should Beamon be found guilty she could be facing serious prison time for the alleged cruel treatment of her sister-in-law.