FLINT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A mother is facing several charges after police in Flint Township say two small children with special needs were abandoned in a home covered in filth for days.
Krystal Farmer faces the following charges:
- Two counts felony child abandonment
- Two counts felony child abuse in the second degree
- Two counts felony child abuse in the second degree in the presence of another child
- One count felony lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation.
“Their mother, the person who should have been their fiercest protector, the one voice meant to calm their fears and meet their needs, walked away. No caregiver stepping in, no safeguards. Just absence,” police said in a Facebook post. “Instead of being shielded from harm, they were left alone to endure it. While her children endured filth, hunger, and fear, she prioritized herself over their safety, abandoning them to survive on their own.”
Police posted video from inside the home. Visit their Facebook page to see the video. Warning: it is extremely disturbing.
Police responded to a home for a welfare check after a concerned neighbor called 911. When officers arrived at the home, police say trash covered the floors, making it difficult to walk normally.
“Every movement required careful tiptoeing through someone else’s neglect,” Flint Township police said in the Facebook post. “A faucet ran endlessly, water spilling onto the floor like a forgotten fountain, the sound echoing through rooms that had gone far too long without adult presence.”
Police found feces smear along walls “at a child’s height.”
“A heartbreaking sign of little hands left without guidance, without help,” police said.
They also said there were no clean cloths, no food ready to eat in the kitchen and no phones or tablets for the children to communicate outside the home.
“It was a house that had been reduced to survival conditions, and two vulnerable children were left inside it alone,” police said.
One child was trying to eat raw, spoiled meat when officers found them. They say the other child “was curled up on the bedroom floor.”
“For children with special needs, routine is security. Familiar voices, predictable schedules, and steady care are what make the world feel manageable. Strip that away, and even a short disruption can feel overwhelming,” police said.
Police are crediting the neighbor saying, “lives were changed forever, and it started with a single phone call.”
“There are cases that make you angry. There are cases that break your heart. This one does both. Some calls fade with time. Others don’t. Cases involving children, especially ones like this, linger long after the uniforms are hung up for the night, carried quietly by the first responders who walked through that door,” police said.
“But this story is also about hope. A neighbor spoke up. Officers refused to accept half-answers and detectives dismantled the mother's lies and followed the evidence until the truth came to light. And most importantly, two children are now safe.”
Police are reminding people to speak up if they see something and that one call can make a difference.
