Oakland County mom accused of abandoning kids in filthy home for years due in court — Here’s why

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – A Pontiac mother accused of abandoning her three children to live in a filthy home alone for years is expected to go in front of a judge Tuesday.

Kelli Bryant, 34, of Pontiac, is facing three counts of first-degree child abuse after authorities found her three children — a 15-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl, and a 12-year-old girl — living alone. She also faces welfare fraud charges.

A probable cause conference is set for April 15, 2025, at 2 p.m.

The last time she appeared in court, Bryant’s defense attorney, Cecilia Quirindongo-Baunsoe, said she received around 600 pages of discovery to review and asked to set another probable cause conference.

Click here to see all of our previous coverage of this case.

Bond was also discussed during the hearing on March 30.

Quirindongo-Baunsoe said Bryant was given a cash bond of about $14,000 in the welfare fraud case and that she believes “there was an abuse in discretion when the court set her bond.”

The defense attorney said that this wasn’t a violent crime and claimed the court should have issued a personal recognizance bond with conditions.

Quirindongo-Baunsoe mentioned that Bryant is still in the Oakland County Jail on a $50,000 cash bond for the child abuse charges, but said in the welfare fraud case, the mother is entitled to a personal recognizance bond by law.

Erica Smith, who appeared on behalf of The People, asked that if the judge were to grant a personal bond, it be set at about $29,000.

That’s because a review of the support payments by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shows an overpayment of $29,397 between January 2022 and February 2025.

Walker said this wasn’t a violent offense and noted that pretrial services recommended release with conditions.

For these reasons, the judge modified the bond to a $29,397 personal bond with the condition that Bryant can’t possess a weapon of any kind or have any assaultive conduct while the case is pending.

The mother is still being held on the first-degree child abuse charges. Bryant was initially given a $250 million bond, but that was later reduced to $50,000.