OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The Oakland County mom accused of abandoning her kids and forcing them to live alone in filthy conditions for years was back in court on 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.
The mother appeared before Judge Cynthia Thomas Walker for probable cause conferences for her child abuse and welfare fraud charges.
Bryant’s defense attorney, Cecilia Quirindongo-Baunsoe, asked the judge to set a preliminary examination for the child abuse charges and to set another probable cause conference in the welfare fraud case.
The prosecution and the defense both agreed that they wanted the cases to move together.
Walker set the preliminary examination and the probable cause conferences for 9 a.m. on Friday, May 16.
You can watch the full hearing in the video below:
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kanika Ferency, who is handling the child abuse case, told the judge she believed they would need a half day in court in terms of the witnesses.
During this hearing, Quirindongo-Baunsoe also brought up Bryant’s $50,000 bond on the child abuse charges. The Court previously told the defense attorney that if they received other information, like medical documents, to support what was being submitted, then they could address bond again.
Quirindongo-Baunsoe told the judge she didn’t have these documents, but Bryant asked her to bring up bond because she doesn’t have the means to post it, and believes it is unreasonable.
“Your Honor, you were clear on March 7 of what you were requesting from Ms. Quirindongo,” said Ferency. “That has not been presented. I don’t believe that it should be addressed at this time unless there is additional information.”
The judge said because no new information was provided, Bryant’s bond will continue as is.
Click here to see all of our previous coverage of this case.
The last time Bryant appeared in court before her April 15 appearance was on March 25. During that hearing, the defense attorney had asked for another probable cause conference for the welfare fraud charges because she had around 600 pages of discovery to review.
Bond was also discussed. Quirindongo-Baunsoe said Bryant was given a cash bond of about $14,000 in the welfare fraud case and that she believed “there was an abuse in discretion when the court set her bond.”
The defense attorney had said Bryant was still in 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.
The judge modified the bond to a $29,397 personal bond with the conditions that Bryant can’t possess a weapon of any kind or have any assaultive conduct while the case is pending.
Bryant was given this bond because a review of the support payments by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shows an overpayment of $29,397 from January 2022 and February 2025.
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.
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