No Probable Cause In Case Of Mother Who Put Her Son In Trunk To Avoid COVID

Sarah Beam

Photo: Harris County Sheriff's Department

A Texas judge ruled there was no probable cause to charge a woman who put her son in the trunk of her car to avoid COVID-19 exposureSarah Beam, 41, was charged with child endangerment after she took her 13-year-old son to get tested for the virus at a stadium in Houston.

When workers saw the boy in the trunk, they called the police, and Beam was taken into custody. She told investigators that her son had tested positive, and she wanted to avoid exposure to the virus, which is why she put him in the trunk. The boy was not injured.

Beam bonded out of jail until her court hearing on Thursday (January 13). During the hearing, Judge Chris Morton found that there was no probable cause to arrest and charge Beam.

Morton said that investigators could continue to look into the case. Officials said they are looking at their options and could still bring the case before a grand jury.

"We will review all the evidence gathered by police and make a determination on how to proceed, including the possibility of presenting this case to a grand jury so that representatives of the people of Harris County can decide whether a criminal charge is appropriate," Harris County District Attorney spokesperson Dan Schiller said in a statement. "We respect the judge's ruling, and we will continue with our work."


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