Three young children found living alone in squalor after being abandoned for years

In possibly one of the most despicable cases of child abuse and neglect reported in recent history, a Pontiac, Michigan, mother – who had abandoned her three young children for years – leaving them to live alone in absolute squalor and survive only on weekly drop-offs of prepared food, was arrested on February 14 by Oakland County Sheriff’s Office deputies. The 34-year-old mother, who is not being identified as she shares the same name as one of her children, is being held in the Oakland County Jail. Detectives are expected to turn the case over to prosecutors for review in the next few days.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard, said the conditions in which the children were forced to survive, were unconscionable. “Throughout my extensive career in his field, I have never encountered a scenario as dire and prolonged as this one, involving abandonment, neglect, and abuse of the highest order,” Bouchard said.

“This situation would be deemed deplorable and intolerable for an animal, and it is utterly unacceptable for three children. They have been deprived of any interaction with their mother and have not received an education for years.  The far-reaching consequences of this abuse must be acknowledged. We look forward to presenting this case to the prosecutor and ensuring that this mother faces the consequences of her actions.”

The children, a 15-year-old boy and his two sisters, ages, 12 and 13, have been placed in the custody of a relative by Child Protective Services.

Background: Deputies were called to a home in the 600 block of Lydia Lane on Friday afternoon to perform a welfare check on the occupants of the home. The landlord contacted deputies after he had not heard from the mother since December.  Rent had not been paid since October, and he was concerned that something may have happened. Upon their arrival, deputies found a home in deplorable condition.

Garbage was piled up as high as four feet in some rooms.  Mold and human waste were found throughout, with the toilet overflowing, and feces in the bathtub. When deputies checked the residence for occupants, they found the boy and his sisters. The girls had locked themselves in the bathroom, but opened the door when asked.

The boy said he and his sisters lived alone in the home, as his mother had abandoned them in 2020 or 2021.

The child survived on the prepared food their mother or a stranger would leave on the front porch each week. The mother did not leave toilet paper or personal hygiene items. The mother had some contact with the boy, but it appeared she had not seen the girls in years.

The scene was processed by an evidence technician wearing a HAZMAT suit. The children had not attended school since their abandonment, passing the time watching television or playing games. It appeared the girls had not been outside the home for several years.

The boy slept on a mattress on the floor while the girls slept on pizza boxes. Neighbors told the deputies that they were unaware the children lived in the home and never saw them outside. They did see the mother drop things off at the home each month.

The children were taken to the hospital for evaluation. They were wearing soiled clothing, their hair was matted, and their toenails were several inches long, making it difficult to walk. It appears the children were unfamiliar with how to use personal hygiene items or even knew how to flush the toilet.

The mother was found at another location and arrested without incident. She said the father of the children was not involved in their lives.

As of yesterday (February 18,) the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office had collected a nice supply of donated children’s clothes for all three kids after posting their clothes sizes online.  The Sheriff’s Office also established a Paypal account to accept tax-deductible monetary donations for the kids.

“We appreciate the community’s response in supporting the three neglected Pontiac children. At this juncture, we have sufficient clothing donations and are shifting our focus to accept donations for educational supplies and to allocate resources for their future well-being. We are accepting donations to a tax-deductible qualified fund, with 100% of the contributions going directly to the children.”

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For more on the three children found living alone in squalor after being abandoned three years ago by their mother, see the video accompanying this article.

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(Source and images of the home: Oakland County Sheriff’s Office)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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