Oakland County Prosecutor reviewing case of Pontiac kids left alone in squalor for years

PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) – The Oakland County Prosecutor is evaluating what charges could be filed against the mother of three children left to live by themselves for years in squalor in a Pontiac home.

The case against the 34-year-old mother, who is not being named to protect the identity of her three children, was given to the prosecutor’s office on Monday for review.

<!–>

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has called a 2 p.m. press conference where he is expected to give an update on the case. He did not say if charges would be announced at the press conference or if the prosecutor would be joining him.

–> <!–>

The backstory:

–>

The case revolves around the three children found living alone and surrounded by garbage and feces. The oldest, a 15-year-old boy, lived with his two sisters, ages 13 and 12, from between either 2020 or 2021 alone in the Pontiac home. They survived on food that was dropped off once a week by either their mother or a stranger.

<!–>

–>

Deputies said the children lived in the home with garbage as high as 4-feet tall, toilets that wouldn’t flush, and feces in the bathtub of the home.

<!–>

They had no access to toilet paper or personal hygiene items. The sheriff said they were unfamiliar with personal hygiene and didn’t even know how to flush a toilet. The sheriff also said the children had toenails that were so long that it was painful for them to walk.

–>

Over the past four years, the children did not attend school and passed time by watching TV or playing games and it had been years since the girls had stepped foot outside.

<!–>

The boy slept on a mattress on the floor, but the two girls slept on pizza boxes.

–>

“This situation would be deemed deplorable and intolerable for an animal, and it is utterly unacceptable for three children. 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. We look forward to presenting this case to the prosecutor and ensuring that this mother faces the consequences of her actions,” Bouchard said in a release on Sunday.

<!–>

–>

Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel echoed those sentiments on Monday.

<!–>

“It’s horrific, I mean it really is – it’s not just the material neglect, the health neglect,” he said. “But the emotional and psychological abuse that this entails.”

–>

Greimel said the owner of the home has some fault as well, because he never registered the home as a rental property with the city.

<!–>

“If it had been registered as a rental property, then we would have been doing periodic rental unit inspections of the property every few years,” he said.

–>

The children were discovered last Friday when the owner of the home called because he was concerned about the family living there. He said he hadn’t received a rent check since October and the kids’ mother stopped communicating with him in December.

<!–>

What you can do:

–>

The sheriff has put out a call for donations for the kids who are currently living with a family member.

<!–>

Clothes sizes needed:

–>

Girl’s size 12 clothing and girl’s size 6.5 shoes for the 12-year-old girl.

<!–>

Girl’s size 14 clothing and girl’s size 7 shoes for the 13-year-old girl.

–>

Medium men’s clothing and size 9 shoes for the 15-year-old boy.

<!–>

Donations can be dropped off at the county campus at 1200 N Telegraph, 38 E. or at the Pontiac substation at 110 E Pike.

–>

Crime and Public SafetyPontiac