Mother arrested after abandoning her 3 children in an apartment for 4 years, Pontiac MI

[BetteDavisEyes]

The mother on her Facebook page took a video and posted it on February 5th about a "Free Food Give Away", just days before her arrest. I wonder if she was getting for for the children or herself.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=647760294365567

So, in addition to using the children's government benefits for herself, KB also received food stamps (Bridge card in Michigan) while her children were practically starving. When she set up the free food giveaway, did anyone wonder where all the food came from? The more I learn about this woman and her abandoned children, the angrier I get!

 

[acutename]

Why judge gave Oakland County mother accused of abandoning kids high cash bond

Here's what the judge said when she gave an Oakland County mother who allegedly abandoned her three children and left them to live in deplorable conditions for years a $250 million bond.

www.clickondetroit.com

...Judge Ronda M. Fowlkes Gross set the bond for Kelli Bryant, 34, of Pontiac, on Thursday, Feb. 20, and said that she believes the mother is a danger to the children and a flight risk.

“I am concerned that she still may have contact with the family member from the jail with instructions to continue to engage in the fear tactics to forbid the children from cooperating with authorities in their continued investigation in this matter,” the judge said.

“For that reason alone, I’m giving her a $250 million bond in this matter,” said the judge. “Cash only.”...

A lot of children aged 8,9 and 12 or 12, 13 and 15, esp if they had phones, would have reached out to somebody during a 3-4 yr period IMO. They had to be very threatened or very isolated or both... can you set phones so that they only dial one number?
they had to be very n

 

[Joe Friday]

So, in addition to using the children's government benefits for herself, KB also received food stamps (Bridge card in Michigan) while her children were practically starving. When she set up the free food giveaway, did anyone wonder where all the food came from? The more I learn about this woman and her abandoned children, the angrier I get!

I think she was at a food pantry or similar and was advertising the free food give away to her FB friends. She wasn't the one giving the food away.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I think she was a food pantry or similar and was advertising the free food give away to her FB friends. She wasn't the one giving the food away.

Where did the food come from?

 

[Joe Friday]

Where did the food come from?

@BetteDavisEyes Sorry, should have proof read my statement. I think she was "at" a food pantry when she took that video. I edited it.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

A probable cause conference is scheduled for March 4, with a preliminary examination set for March 11.

“Are the allegations troubling and disturbing? Absolutely they are. But the $250 million? So, how much is too much? $20,000 would have done it for her, right, if she’s really indigent,” said Lillian Diallo, attorney and president of the Wayne County Defense Bar Association.

Pontiac mother accused of abandoning her 3 children given $250 million bond

By Joseph Buczek Click here for updates on this story PONTIAC, Michigan (WWJ) — A 34-year-old Pontiac mother accused of child abuse and abandoning her three children was arraigned Thursday morning on three counts of first-degree child abuse. On Thursday, 50th District Court Judge Ronda...

abc17news.com

 

[LaborDayRN]

Not to mention, also, that she wanted to keep the government funds she was receiving to "care for" the three children.

^^^This....
Sorry. I'm a bit behind.

 

[Gemmie]

I always have timing like this. lol I was watching the video you posted, freezing the vid and leaning in close to my monitor to get a better look at what I thought were bugs on one of the pizza boxes, when a guy on TV that I have on in the background said "When you see 2 cockroaches, you have to know there are many, many more".

While I can't tell if they are roaches, they ARE insects IMO as I can see legs on all but the uppermost one (but bet they're there, the pic is a little blurry from freezing it), and antennas on the one in the lower corner.

Same place in the video is what looks like spider egg sacs, also IMO.

Source @ 1:01 in the video: Crews begin cleaning out home where 3 Pontiac kids were left abandoned for years

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

^In one of the videos, a person on the clean-up crew mentioned that there were also many mice in the home.

 

[Diddian]

These children were likely 9, 10, and 12 when abandoned to themselves, a shelter they were forbidden to leave, and video games. YEARS without access to adult care, guidance, and protection and YEARS without schooling, medical care, or dental care. And living in the conditions in which they were living, one has to suspect that the children experienced illness or injury during that time. The apparent lack of hygienic cleaning and the apparent liquid feces on surfaces likely indicates diarrhea, which means dehydration which can be life threatening if not properly treated. Female children likely began menstruating. It is a miracle all three of these children have survived.

Thank God this landlord asked for a welfare check. I only hope that somewhere in this mess - through past history, reading, the video games they chose (I doubt it), or through pure imagination out of need - these children managed to visualize and believe themselves worthy of a more nurturing and loving mother who attended to them in fullness.

 

[Linear13]

This is all MOO. I would say these children resorted back to a type of ‘ferality’. When children (or any animal really) are abandoned and have no love or empathy shown towards them it doesn’t take long for fear to set in and become the overwhelming motivator in their lives. They hid from police so I would say they hid from everyone else as well (basically anyone who knocked on the door). They were probably terrorized by the only adult in their lives for so long that they had forgotten that nice people even existed. They were probably told to stay away from the windows and to not ‘be seen’. Just think…sneaking a look outside and seeing the grass and sky and wanting so bad to go out that you finally get up the courage to sneak out, probably at night, just to ‘touch the grass’. How many times did that child try to go out and didn’t because of fear. Fear of the unknown. When you are a child everything is unknown.

 

[TMich6811]

And probably fear of the mom. It’s not out of reach to assume she was abusive in other ways prior to this and even during this when she came to bring food, especially initially.

I hope they get paired with the right people for living arrangements because this is going to be a long, long journey to even partially undo what was done. The resiliency of these children is incredible

 

[poppyquiche]

These kinds of stories are always bananas to me, AND terrifying because I think a LOT more children out there are living this life than we'll ever know. Maybe not at "abandoned for years"-levels, but I think the number of addicts, untreated mentally ill, and people who are just flat-out Not Good People Who Don't Care who are leaving children alone for huge amounts of time is much much higher than we realize. Especially now, with cloud cameras and cell phones? ABSOLUTELY a lot of people are using that as a free pass to just...leave. Again, probably not usually for YEARS. But hours, days, weeks? I would absolutely believe it. We only hear about the cases where something goes on for so long that it gets noticed (like here), or when something really really bad happens.

Imagine how many cases we'll never know about, simply because nobody died.

 

[TMich6811]

These kinds of stories are always bananas to me, AND terrifying because I think a LOT more children out there are living this life than we'll ever know. Maybe not at "abandoned for years"-levels, but I think the number of addicts, untreated mentally ill, and people who are just flat-out Not Good People Who Don't Care who are leaving children alone for huge amounts of time is much much higher than we realize. Especially now, with cloud cameras and cell phones? ABSOLUTELY a lot of people are using that as a free pass to just...leave. Again, probably not usually for YEARS. But hours, days, weeks? I would absolutely believe it. We only hear about the cases where something goes on for so long that it gets noticed (like here), or when something really really bad happens.

Imagine how many cases we'll never know about, simply because nobody died.

Especially considering how many children didn’t return to school after Covid closings. Some changed schools and got lost in that and some home schooled but many are likely some version of what you said

 

[tlcya]

A probable cause conference is scheduled for March 4, with a preliminary examination set for March 11.

“Are the allegations troubling and disturbing? Absolutely they are. But the $250 million? So, how much is too much? $20,000 would have done it for her, right, if she’s really indigent,” said Lillian Diallo, attorney and president of the Wayne County Defense Bar Association.

Pontiac mother accused of abandoning her 3 children given $250 million bond

By Joseph Buczek Click here for updates on this story PONTIAC, Michigan (WWJ) — A 34-year-old Pontiac mother accused of child abuse and abandoning her three children was arraigned Thursday morning on three counts of first-degree child abuse. On Thursday, 50th District Court Judge Ronda...

abc17news.com

I disagree with Ms. Diallo. At $20,000 a family member could easily come up with the funds to bond her out. And I still suspect at least some family members were far too complacent to wonder where her children were or confront her about why nobody had seen THREE children in four to five years. These people didn't live out of town. They lived in the Pontiac area.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I disagree with Ms. Diallo. At $20,000 a family member could easily come up with the funds to bond her out. And I still suspect at least some family members were far too complacent to wonder where her children were or confront her about why nobody had seen THREE children in four to five years. These people didn't live out of town. They lived in the Pontiac area.

I don't recall exactly how it was said but during the presser the woman speaking did mention that there were questions as to where family members were, and those questions were asked and answered satisfactorally. I'm 100% paraphrasing here. Hearing her say that though tells me no one but the mother (and their absent father, clearly) are culpable in any way for what those kids went through.

jmo

 

[tlcya]

I don't recall exactly how it was said but during the presser the woman speaking did mention that there were questions as to where family members were, and those questions were asked and answered satisfactorally. I'm 100% paraphrasing here. Hearing her say that though tells me no one but the mother (and their absent father, clearly) are culpable in any way for what those kids went through.

jmo

yep I heard it too, but my impression of her statement was that while family has said they were lied to, the state wasn't verifying that was necessarily true or not. Just that that is what they were told. Hence IMO their concern that supermom may try to intimidate the kids since they are staying with family members.

I hope those kids are safe.

 

[Jo in Calif]

He said that for about six months he has lived two doors down from the home, and about two or three times, the kids yelled out their window to him.


"They would say, 'Hey, nice car!' and I might wave back to them, but that's it," said Johnson. "There’s no way that I could have known that they were in a terrible situation."
Lots of other information in this article.

Neighbor says abandoned Pontiac children would sometimes call out the window

A father himself, Jamarr Johnson, told us that he felt the need to share that he heard the three kids abandoned in squalor in a Pontiac home.

www.wxyz.com

 

[keek]

Especially considering how many children didn’t return to school after Covid closings. Some changed schools and got lost in that and some home schooled but many are likely some version of what you said

Always and forever they are. Keep our eyes open as always.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2025/02/21/pontiac-inspectors-visited-rental-where-kids-lived-alone-in-squalor/79438080007/

Pontiac city employees had known the home where three kids were found living alone in squalor was an unregistered rental as early as April 2020, a violation that was corrected only after the children were rescued last week, according to city records and officials.

City inspectors sent letters to the landlords at the Lydia Lane home in Pontiac five times in 2020 about the unregistered rental and once in 2022, and physically visited the home in June 2024 for an inspection of a new porch, Pontiac Code Enforcement Manager Jack McIntyre said Friday. The June visit was the only time inspectors went to the home physically, McIntyre said, but they did not speak to anyone.

Prosecutors said they think the mother left the kids to live alone as early as 2020 or 2021...