Woman charged for imprisoning mentally handicapped adults in her basement

On Oct. 18, Philadelphia police began seeking some 50 people potentially victimized by Linda Ann Weston, the woman who recently held four mentally handicapped adults captive in an apartment basement.

The prisoners and two small dogs were shut in a 15-by-15 foot boiler room behind a steel door, in which one victim was chained to the boiler pipe. The only nourishment was a container of orange juice, and a mayonnaise jar served as their toilet.

The landlord of the apartment building found the individuals malnourished in the room this Saturday after investigating complaints about suspicious activity near the basement. The victims struggled to communicate to the authorities how long they were held in the room, but police estimate around 10 days.

The discovery of Social Security cards and other documents found in Weston’s home have spawned a new police investigation. Drivers licenses, Social Security cards and power-of-attorney forms were found, forcing authorities to look into whether these people were kidnapped or if the documents were stolen. Police are also looking into the possibility that Weston was possibly receiving money from the victims’ disability checks.

The Inquirer reported that Weston imprisoned 25-year-old Bernardo Ramos in the closet of her Philadelphia apartment in 1981. She served eight years in prison for starving him to death after he reportedly refused to support her sister’s unborn baby.

Weston, 51, along with two other men, Eddie Wright and Gregory Thomas, face charges that include criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, kidnapping, criminal trespass, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment. Their bail was set this Monday to $2.5 million each, according to CNN.

The victims were hospitalized after being discovered, and have been listed in stable condition with malnourishment as their only injury. A preliminary hearing on the charges and evidence in the case is set for Oct. 24.