Detroit Kids Found in Squalor, Abandoned for Years: Cops

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard announced that donations of clothes and money are pouring in for three children "basically abandoned" by their mother for years. The children were discovered by police Friday living in squalor in a suburban Detroit home. The mother occasionally left food on the porch but otherwise had little contact with them, police say.

The children are a 15-year-old boy and two girls ages 13 and 12. They lived alone for possibly over four years amidst trash and feces. "Trash was piled in some places three and four foot high," said Bouchard. The sheriff described their plight, stating, "You wouldn't do this to an animal let alone your child."

Investigators, called to the home by the landlord who reported unpaid rent and wondered what was going on, wore hazmat suits due to the conditions. The father, separated from the children due to a past imprisonment, had no contact post-release as the mother barred him.

After a few days in care, the children are progressing with medical exams, fresh clothes, and hygiene help. The boy had left the house only twice, once just to feel grass again, which Sheriff Bouchard said he finds heartbreaking. The mother is now in jail while prosecutors consider charges. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)