Honk News (Detroit, MI) – A Michigan mother is in custody following allegations that she left her three children for years in a residence deemed uninhabitable, even for animals.
A landlord in Pontiac reached out to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office on Friday to request a welfare check on a tenant living on Lydia Lane. The landlord had not heard from the woman since December and had not received rent payments since October, according to a press release. Sheriff Mike Bouchard described the situation discovered by deputies at the home as a severe instance of “abandonment, neglect and abuse.”
In a surprising situation, three young individuals—a 15-year-old boy and two girls aged 12 and 13—resided in the house without adult supervision. The young boy reportedly informed deputies that he and his sisters have been living independently since either 2020 or 2021.
Authorities reported that refuse was piled up to four feet, excrement was present throughout the residence and filled the bathtub, the toilet was overflowing, and mold was pervasive.
It was also reported that the children had not attended school since being left behind, and instead, they filled their days with television and video games. The 34-year-old mother, whose identity remains undisclosed to safeguard the children’s privacy, had interactions with her son; however, deputies suspect she has not been in contact with the girls for several years.
The boy rested on a mattress, while the girls made do with pizza boxes, according to police reports. According to deputies, prepared meals were delivered to the porch weekly by either their mother or an unfamiliar individual.
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Residents informed authorities that although they observed the mother delivering food, they were unaware that children resided in the home. The children were transported to the medical facility for assessment. Authorities reported that the individuals were dressed in dirty clothing, had tangled hair, and struggled to walk due to excessively long toenails.
Deputies reported that an evidence technician was seen processing the scene in a hazmat suit. The mother was taken into custody by the police at a different site. She stated that the father is absent from the children’s lives.
Investigators are set to submit their findings to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, which will proceed with filing official charges. The children have been placed under the care of a relative by Child Protective Services.