A teenage boy and his two young sisters were found living alone at a home in Pontiac on Feb. 14 in “unspeakably horrific” conditions, authorities said
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A Michigan mother has been charged with child abuse after abandoning her three children who were living in “absolute squalor” for years, authorities have confirmed.
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office announced that Kelli Marie Bryant, 34, had been charged with three counts of child abuse in the first degree and was expected to be arraigned on Thursday, Feb. 20, per a news release shared on X.
Police previously confirmed officers had found a 15-year-old boy and his two sisters, aged 12 and 13, during a welfare check at a home in the 600 block of Lydia Lane in Pontiac on Feb. 14.
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“They were wearing soiled clothing, their hair was matted, and their toenails were several inches long, making it difficult to walk,” the sheriff’s office said in a Feb. 16 release.
“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,” the release included.
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office confirmed Bryant was being held in the Oakland County Jail.
“A conviction on the charge carries up to life in prison or any term of years. Prosecutors also intend to file a petition to terminate the mother’s parental rights to the children,” police added, per the release.
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Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the child abuse case was “one of the worst and longest running” he’d seen in his career. “I am thankful for the outpouring of support from the community to help these children have better lives,” he said, per the post.
“I also am gratified to see this suspect will be held accountable for this unforgiveable treatment of these children,” the sheriff added.
“The conditions these children were living in were unspeakably horrific,” Oakland County Prosecutor, Karen McDonald, said in a news release on Tuesday.
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Authorities had been called to the residence by the landlord after not seeing the mother since December. The landlord added that the last rent paid at the home was in October 2024.
Police said they found the property “in deplorable shape” with garbage “piled as high as four feet” in some rooms and “mold and human waste was found throughout, with the toilet overflowing and feces in the bathtub.”
The boy told authorities that he and his sisters had been living alone at the home since 2020 or 2021. The children had not attended school since being abandoned.
“They survived on the prepared food their mother or a stranger would leave on the front porch each week,” the sheriff’s office said in the initial release. “The mother did not leave toilet paper or personal hygiene items. The mother had contact with the boy, but it appeared she had not seen the girls in years.”
The children were transported to the hospital for evaluation before being placed in the custody of a relative via Child Protective Services.
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.
