A mother from Michigan has been taken into custody for reportedly leaving her three children alone in a Pontiac residence to look after themselves for a duration of four to five years, occasionally delivering food for them.
Deputies from Oakland County responded to the residence and discovered it in a state of extreme neglect, with piles of trash reaching up to four feet in certain areas, as well as mold and human waste present throughout the property, as reported by WXYZ.
The eldest of the siblings, a 15-year-old boy, informed law enforcement that their mother deserted them in either 2020 or 2021, and that she or a stranger would bring them prepared meals on a weekly basis.
When deputies arrived, they found the other two children — 13- and 12-year-old girls — locked in a bathroom.
Police said the children had not been to school since their mother abandoned them and spent their time watching television or playing games. The boy slept on a mattress while the girls slept on discarded pizza boxes.
The kids were taken to a hospital for an evaluation. Police said their hair was matted and their clothes were soiled, and their toenails were so long it made walking difficult.
The landlord requested a welfare check, WDIV reported, saying he had not heard from the mother since December and she last paid rent in October. The station said that the mother had contact with the boy but had not seen the girls in years. She also never left them personal hygiene items, including toilet paper.
The 34-year-old mother has not been named, but police said she was arrested without incident in a separate location, according to the Detroit Free Press. Child Protective Services arranged for the children to be handed over to a relative, although they did not say if the relatives were aware of the kids’ living conditions.
“Throughout my extensive career in this field, I have never encountered a scenario as dire and prolonged as this one, involving abandonment, neglect, and abuse of the highest order,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement, WXYZ said. “This situation would be deemed deplorable and intolerable for an animal, and it is utterly unacceptable for three children.”
