OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Three children were left to live alone in a Pontiac home for years after allegedly being abandoned by their mother, and during that time, only one child ever stepped outside.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 18, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said detectives believe that the three kids, a 15-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl, and a 12-year-old girl, were abandoned by their 34-year-old mother sometime in 2020.
While living alone, the boy was the only child to go outside the home, and he only ever did twice, according to Bouchard.
He told authorities that one time he left the home to “touch the grass” and then he left another time to check the mail.
While being abandoned the children were surviving off of weekly food drop-offs from their mother and delivery companies, like Instacart and DoorDash, and didn’t attend school.
More -- Sheriff: How nobody knew 3 abandoned kids were living alone in Oakland County for years
The Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald is reviewing the case, which allegedly includes “several gigabytes of evidence,” according to a release from the prosecutor’s office.
“The conditions these children were living in were unspeakably horrific,” McDonald said in a release in response to the allegations in the police report. “Right now, this case is a top priority. Our team is urgently working to process the evidence and make charging decisions. While it is important to move quickly, we must also be thorough to fully understand what happened in that house and ensure justice is done for these three children.”
What we know after 3 kids abandoned by mother
Deputies performed a welfare check at the home in the 600 block of Lydia Lane in the afternoon on Friday, Feb. 14, after the landlord called them.
The landlord told them he hadn’t heard from the mother since December, and rent hadn’t been paid since October. He was concerned that something could have happened.
When they arrived, they found the home in deplorable condition.
Garbage was piled as high as four feet in some areas and mold and human waste were found throughout the home.
The toilet was overflowing and they found feces in the bathtub, according to the sheriff’s office. The children were found wearing soiled clothing. Their hair was matted and their nails were several inches long.
Neighbors told authorities they never saw the children outside the house, but would see the mother drop things off.
After their 34-year-old mother was arrested, the three children were put into the custody of a relative by Child Protective Services.
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing the case.
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