A mother from Michigan has been apprehended after allegedly deserting her three children for several years, leaving them in a house described as “deplorable”, filled with rubbish and human waste.
The 34 year old woman, whose identity is being withheld to protect her children, was arrested after her 15 year old son and two daughters, aged 12 and 13, were discovered living in “absolute squalor” in a Pontiac residence last Friday.
The police were alerted to the situation when they were called to perform a welfare check at the property following the landlord’s report that he had not heard from the mother since December and rent had been unpaid since October.
The children informed the police that their mother had left them either in 2020 or 2021, and they had been residing alone in the house ever since.
The authorities reported that the house was strewn with human waste, mould, and garbage stacked up to four feet high in some rooms. The children were found to be “unfamiliar with how to use personal hygiene items or know how to flush a toilet,” according to the authorities.
They had also not attended school since their abandonment.
The girls, who hadn’t ventured outside in years, slept on pizza boxes, while the boy used a mattress on the floor. Their days were spent watching television and playing games, the authorities revealed, reports The Mirror US.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard condemned the living conditions as “deplorable and intolerable for an animal.”
Sheriff Michael Bouchard expressed his shock at the neglect three children faced, as he detailed their ordeal: “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,” he stated. “The far-reaching consequences of this abuse must be acknowledged.”
He went on to describe their living conditions, where they subsisted on food left on the front porch by their mother or an unknown person, and were discovered in a state of severe neglect.
“The children survived on food that was delivered on the front porch every week by their mother or a stranger. They were found with matted hair and toenails so long they found it difficult to walk.”
The mother has since been located away from the home and taken into custody, while the father appears to have been absent from the children’s lives. The children are currently in the care of a family member.
“The mother was found at another location and arrested. The children’s father was reportedly not involved in their lives. The children are now living with a relative. The woman is being held at Oakland County Jail,” Bouchard explained. He concluded with a resolve to seek justice: “We look forward to presenting this case to the prosecutor and ensuring that this mother faces the consequences of her actions,” Bouchard said.
Leave a comment