Pontiac, Michigan AP
A judge set a $250 million bond Thursday for a Michigan woman who is accused of leaving three children alone for years in a house where conditions were so offensive that police evidence technicians wore hazmat suits.
Bryant, who appeared in Oakland County court on child abuse charges, occasionally shook her head during the proceedings as her attorney, Cecilia Quirindongo-Baunsoe, entered a not-guilty plea on her behalf.
The three children, aged 15, 13, and 12, were rescued last week after reportedly living alone in the home since 2020 or 2021, surrounded by trash, feces, and occasional food deliveries left on the porch. Quirindongo-Baunsoe acknowledged the seriousness of the case but argued that Bryant posed no threat to the community and could be released with an electronic monitor.
However, Judge Ronda Fowlkes Gross deemed Bryant an “acute risk” to the public and imposed the extraordinary bond.
Police discovered the children hiding during a welfare check prompted by the landlord, who had not received rent since October.
Investigators found the toilet nonfunctional and feces scattered throughout the home, including in the bathtub, while Bryant was reportedly living elsewhere in Pontiac. Prosecutor Karen McDonald stated that there were “a multitude of reasons” the siblings did not leave the home, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.
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