OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. — A Pontiac woman has been arrested after allegedly abandoning her three children and leaving them to live alone in deplorable conditions for years, authorities said.
Deputies from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office took the 34-year-old mother into custody Friday after conducting a welfare check at a home on Lydia Lane. The landlord had contacted authorities, concerned after not hearing from the mother since December. Rent had last been paid in October.
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Upon arrival, deputies discovered the children—a 15-year-old boy and his two sisters, ages 12 and 13—living in severe neglect. The home was filled with garbage piled as high as four feet, with mold and human waste throughout, an overflowing toilet, and feces in the bathtub. Deputies found the boy in the home while his sisters had locked themselves in the bathroom but opened the door when prompted.
The boy told deputies he and his sisters had been living alone since 2020 or 2021, surviving on weekly food drop-offs from their mother or a stranger who would leave meals on the front porch. The mother did not provide personal hygiene products, and the girls had reportedly not been outside for years.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard described the case as one of the worst he has encountered in his career.
“This situation would be deemed deplorable and intolerable for an animal, and it is utterly unacceptable for three children,” Bouchard said in a statement. “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.”
Neighbors told deputies they were unaware children lived in the home and never saw them outside. However, they had noticed the mother dropping off items once a month.
The children, who had not attended school since their abandonment, were taken to a hospital for evaluation. Authorities said they were wearing soiled clothing, had matted hair, and toenails several inches long, making it difficult to walk. They also appeared unfamiliar with how to use personal hygiene products or flush a toilet.
The mother, whose name has not been released as she shares the same surname as one of her children, was arrested at another location without incident. She remains in custody at the Oakland County Jail while detectives prepare to present the case to prosecutors.
Child Protective Services has placed the children in the custody of a relative.
