Pontiac woman accused of abandoning her 3 children for years released on bond
A Pontiac, Michigan, woman accused of abandoning her three children to live in squalor was released on bond on Thursday.
Records from the Oakland County Jail show Kelli Bryant, 34, was released just before 5 p.m. on June 5. Additional details on her release are currently unknown.
Bryant faces three counts each of child abuse related to allegedly forcing her three kids, a 15-year-old boy and a 13- and 12-year-old girl, to live in unbearable, filthy conditions in an apartment. She was also charged with welfare fraud related to getting money from the state as support payments, where she received an alleged roughly $30,000.
Bryant was initially given a $250 million bond, which was later reduced to $50,000 cash. If released, she was ordered to have no contact with her children or anyone under the age of 18. She can also not contact those caring for her children and cannot return to the address of the alleged incident.
Oakland County deputies received a call on Feb. 14 from a landlord at a residence on the 600 block of Lydia Lane in Pontiac after not hearing from the mother since December 2024. The landlord said rent had not been paid since October, and he was concerned something might have happened.
When deputies arrived at the home, they found it in a vile state. They found mold and human waste, garbage piled as high as four feet, and an overflowing toilet. The children were reportedly covered in feces, and the two girls had trouble walking out of the house.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said investigators believe the children were abandoned between 2020 and 2021. According to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, Bryant lived with her four children at the home in 2019 and left with one of her children, who is now living with their father. Officials say Bryant has four children with two different fathers.
Authorities say Bryant did not leave basic hygiene products like toilet paper, soap or shampoo with her children.
The children were taken to a hospital for evaluation and are currently in the custody of a relative under the direction of the state.
