The Oakland County Sheriff's Office is collecting donations for three kids who were recovered from a Pontiac home over the weekend and allegedly abandoned by their mother.
INTERVIEW: Sheriff Michael Bouchard talks about providing help for kids left alone
According to the sheriff's office, the mother was arrested after allegedly abandoning a 15-year-old boy, a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl for years.
Watch below: Pontiac mother arrested after abandoning children in home for 4-5 years
Officials say that the children were left in squalor, surviving on weekly drop-offs of prepared food. First responders said that four feet piles of garbage were found in some rooms. Mold and human excrement was found throughout the house.
The sisters were locked in a bathroom when police arrived. The oldest sibling said that the kids had been abandoned by their mother in 2020 or 2021, surviving on one prepared food dropped off by their mother or a stranger once a week.
Watch below: Sheriff Bouchard speaks after Pontiac mother arrested after abandoning children in home for 4-5 years
The kids were taken to the hospital with signs of severe neglect and their case is not being reviewed by CPS.
“Obviously, having not been outside the house for literally at least since 2021 if not longer, there’s a lot of things that they don’t have,” Bouchard said.
Deputies said the children hadn’t been to school and years and slept on pizza boxes.
7 News Detroit reached out to the kids’ grandfather. He was unavailable for an interview but said he was not aware of the horrible conditions that they lived in. He also said the kids’ father was not notified.
“I have never in my 60 years of living heard of nobody not checking on nobody,” said Michelle Radcliff, a friend of the kids’ grandfather. “I just can’t see it. It’s just sad.”
The sheriff's office said they are collecting new or gently-used donations at their headquarters on the Oakland County campus at 1200 N. Telegraph, 38 E. or at the Pontiac substation just off of Widetrack.
Here's what they need and the sizes:
- 12-year-old girl’s clothing size is 12 and girls 6 ½ shoe size
- 13-year-old girl’s clothing size is 14 and 7 shoe size
- 15-year-old boy is a medium in men's clothing with a size 9 shoe
“We’re going to try getting them up to date. Fresh and clean clothing, give them a sense of value and worth,” Bouchard said.
Among the questions many are wondering are how something like this could happen and why weren’t they found sooner.
“You got to check on them. They can’t fend for themselves. You got to check on the kids. It’s heartbreaking,” Radcliff said.
