$250 Million Bond Set for Mother Accused of Abandoning Children for Years in Squalor
(OCSO, Feb. 20, 2025)
Pontiac, MI – A Pontiac mother charged with first-degree child abuse for leaving her three young children to live alone in absolute squalor for years is being held in the Oakland County Jail on $250 million bond.
50th District Court Judge Ronda Gross set the bond today during the arraignment for Kelli Marie Bryant, 34, the Pontiac mother charged in the case. The judge set the high bond, deeming Bryant a flight risk.
“I thank Judge Gross for setting a bond that ensures that as this case moves forward, it reflects the severity of consequences and the risks for what was inflicted on these poor children,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. Bryant is charged with three counts of first-degree child abuse – which carries up to life in prison or any term of years upon conviction.
Prosecutors also intend to file a petition to terminate the mother’s parental rights to the children. Bryant was taken into custody on Friday after deputies were called to a townhouse in the 600 block of Lydia Lane to perform a welfare check on the occupants of the home.
Deputies found Bryant’s three children – a 15-year-old boy and his sisters, ages 12 and 13, living in unimaginable conditions.
The landlord had contacted the sheriff’s office because the rent had not been paid since October, and he had not spoken to Bryant since December and was concerned something may have happened. Detectives learned Bryant was living in a different location in Pontiac. Upon their arrival, deputies found a home in deplorable shape. Garbage was piled as high as four feet in some rooms, mold and human waste was found throughout, with the toilet overflowing and feces in the bathtub.
Deputies checked the residence for occupants and found the boy and his sisters. The girls had locked themselves in the bathroom but opened the door when asked. The boy said he and his sisters lived alone in the home as his mother had abandoned them in 2020 or 2021.
The children are now living with a relatives while under the supervision of Child Protective Services. Bryant is to appear in court again on March 4 for a probable cause conference. Her preliminary examination is set for March 11 before Judge Gross.
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