Severely disabled Central NY woman was kept in hot, garbage-filled shed, troopers say

A 75-year-old woman was arrested Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025 after troopers say she kept a severely disabled woman confined in a swelteringly hot shed filled with garbage outside a Hastings home in July. Neighbors said they saw medics take the victim out of the brown shed.Finn Lincoln

By Darian Stevenson, Anne Hayes, Finn Lincoln 

Hastings, N.Y. — A 75-year-old Hastings woman was arrested Wednesday after troopers say she kept a severely disabled woman confined in a swelteringly hot shed filled with garbage outside a Hastings home this summer.

The 46-year-old victim, who was non-verbal and physically disabled, was confined in a shed where temperatures exceeded 100 degrees, Trooper Jennifer Jiron, a spokesperson for the State Police said Thursday in a news release.

The woman charged, Maria Y. Traub, is the victim’s mother, according to neighbors.

The victim was unable to sit up or hydrate on her own, had no access to water and was using a bucket as a toilet, Jiron said.

She was wearing the same soiled clothing for several days and was swarmed by flies.

The woman had multiple broken bones, Jiron said. She was severely dehydrated, lethargic and had multiple bruises on her body, investigators said in a criminal complaint filed in the town of Hastings.

The woman was discovered on July 29 when troopers responded to the home in the 1300 block of Route 11 in the town of Hastings for a welfare check.

A health care provider called 911, expressing concern that the victim was not receiving her medications, Jiron said. The nurse contacted police after a “concerning” call from Traub, according to the complaint.

When troopers arrived, they found the woman in a “highly distressed state,” Jiron said.

When emergency medical services arrived, Traub tried to refuse access to the victim, according to court papers.

Neighbors said they saw ambulance crews help the victim out of an old, brown shed. She was dirty and covered in injuries, they said.

The neighbors also said ambulances and police had previously been to Traub’s residence.

The day before the woman was found, troopers said Traub tried to drag the victim inside her home.

When Traub failed to drag the woman inside, she left her on a “concrete pad” outside the front of the home where she slept that night, according to the complaint.

The next day, Traub dragged the victim into the shed and neglected to provide necessary medical care, according to the complaint.

The woman was taken to Upstate University Hospital where she was found to be severely dehydrated and unable to walk. She remained hospitalized for several days and has since been placed in the care of a court-appointed guardian, Jiron said.

Traub was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person and first-degree reckless endangerment, both felonies, Jiron said.

Oswego County District Attorney Anthony DiMartino said that Traub had guardianship of the victim but was unaware of their relationship.

Traub was arraigned in Oswego County CAP Court and released on her own recognizance.

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Severely disabled Central NY woman was kept in hot, garbage-filled shed, troopers say