Detroit Area Home Where Abandoned Kids Lived For Years Was In Such Horrible Shape That Cops Needed Hazmat Suits to Go Inside

Michigan police found three children abandoned in a home in the Detroit suburb of Pontiac, living in conditions so deplorable that police needed Hazmat suits to investigate the property.

Police found three children - a 15-year-old boy and two girls, ages 12 and 13 - inside the home. The boy told police that their mother had left them there in 2020 or 2021. Since then, the children survived on food that was dropped off and left on the porch by the woman or a stranger.

Deputies reported finding garbage piled as high as four feet. The house was covered in mold and human waste, with the toliet overflowing with human feces and human waste also found in the bathtub. The Hazmat suits were used to process the scene once the children were removed.

"I have never encountered a scenario as dire and prolonged as this one, involving abandonment, neglect, and abuse of the highest order," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "This situation would be deemed deplorable and intolerable for an animal, and it is utterly unacceptable for three children."

The 34-year-old mother was being held in Oakland County Jail as prosecutors consider charges. Her name matches one of the children, and therefore, police have withheld her identity.

"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 consequences for her actions," Bouchard said.

Police were called to the home Friday to perform a welfare check. The landlord had not heard from the mother since December and she had last been paid rent in October.

Police began accepting donations for the children and received an outpouring of support from the community.

"We appreciate the community's response in supporting the three neglected Pontiac children. At this juncture, we have sufficient clothing donations and are shifting our focus to accept donations for educational supplies and to allocate resources for their future well-being," police stated in a Facebook post. "We are accepting donations to a tax-deductible qualified fund, with 100% of the contributions going directly to the children."

According to the 15-year-old boy, the children were never left with toilet paper or other personal hygiene items. Although the woman apparently had some contact with the boy, she had not seen the girls in years, police said.

"The boy slept on a mattress on the floor while the girls slept on pizza boxes," police stated.

Neighbors told police that they were unaware the children were living there alone and never saw them outside. Although, the neighbors said they did see the mother dropping things off.

The children were taken to a hospital for evaluation. Police reported that their toenails were so long that they had difficulty walking.

The mother was found at another location and taken into custody. She told police that their father was not involved in the lives of the children.

Originally published on Lawyer Herald