OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The Oakland County mom accused of abandoning her kids and forcing them to live alone in filthy conditions for years is expected to appear in court on Friday.
Kelli Bryant, 34, of Pontiac, is facing three counts of first-degree child abuse after authorities found her three children — a 15-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl, and a 12-year-old girl — living alone. She also faces welfare fraud charges.
She is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary examination on the child abuse charges and another probable cause conference for the welfare fraud charges on Friday, May 16.
The last time Bryant was in court, she appeared before Judge Cynthia Thomas Walker for probable cause conferences for her child abuse and welfare fraud charges.
During that hearing, the prosecution and the defense both agreed that they wanted the cases to move together, so the hearings were set for the same day.
Click here to see all of our previous coverage of this case.
On April 15, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kanika Ferency, who is handling the child abuse case, told the judge she believed they would need a half day in court for her preliminary examination in terms of the witnesses.
Bryant’s attorney, Cecilia Quirindongo-Baunsoe, also brought up Bryant’s $50,000 bond on the child abuse charges during the last hearing, but didn’t have any supporting documents. The attorney said Bryant had asked her to address the bond again because she doesn’t have the means to pay it and believes it was unreasonable.
“Your Honor, you were clear on March 7 of what you were requesting from Ms. Quirindongo,” Ferency said during that hearing. “That has not been presented. I don’t believe that it should be addressed at this time unless there is additional information.”
The judge said because no new information was provided, Bryant’s bond would continue as is.
Bryant was initially given a $250 million bond, but that was later reduced to $50,000.
You can watch the full hearing from April 15 in the video below:
