by Admin
Feb 18, 2025
The fate of a 34-year-old Michigan woman accused of abandoning her three children in deplorable conditions now rests with the county prosecutor, who will determine whether to press charges in what authorities describe as a “horrifying case” of neglect.
The children—ages 12, 13, and 15—were discovered last Friday living in extreme squalor inside a Pontiac home.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the residence was covered in human waste, and garbage was piled up to four feet high.
Two children slept on pizza boxes, and their toenails were so overgrown that they struggled to walk.
Authorities said the children survived on food delivered weekly by their mother or an unidentified individual.
The case was formally submitted to the county prosecutor’s office on Monday.
According to law enforcement, the 15-year-old told investigators that he and his two younger sisters had been left alone in the home after their mother abandoned them in 2020 or 2021.
The police confirmed that the children had not attended school since that time.
The Pontiac School District stated Monday that the siblings were not currently enrolled but declined to provide further details, citing the sensitivity of the case.
“The Pontiac community has been shaken by the horrifying story of the three children who were discovered suffering from extreme neglect this past weekend,” said Pontiac School District Interim Superintendent Kimberly Leverette.
“As a school district, we are working with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department to assist in any way we can. As educators, our hearts are breaking for these children and what they have endured over the past several years.”
The mother, whose name has not been disclosed, was arrested on Friday and remains in custody at the Oakland County Jail.
Prosecutors have yet to announce charges, and Jeff Wattrick, a spokesperson for the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, said no comments will be made until the case has been fully reviewed.
In the meantime, Child Protective Services has placed the children in the care of a relative.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is also collecting donations on their behalf, seeking new or gently used clothing and shoes for a 15-year-old boy and two girls, ages 12 and 13.
The investigation began after a landlord reported that rent had not been paid since October and that he had not heard from the mother since December.
This prompted authorities to visit the home on the 600 block of Lydia Lane, a street lined with well-maintained townhomes underscoring the stark contrast between the children’s living conditions and their surrounding neighborhood.