Pontiac Mother Teriomas Tremice Johnson Arrested After Children Found Living in Filth With No Water, Food, or Supervision

Teriomas Tremice Johnson, a 31-year-old mother from Pontiac, Michigan, has been arrested after authorities discovered her three children living alone in an apartment with no running water, no food, and surrounded by human waste. Johnson now faces three counts of child abuse following an investigation into the squalid conditions inside the home.

Police were alerted on November 7 when Johnson’s 12-year-old daughter called 911 to report a possible break-in. When deputies arrived, they found the 12-year-old, her 9-year-old brother and sister, and three cats inside the apartment — but no parent in sight. The children told authorities they had not seen their mother since the previous day. Investigators described the apartment as “deplorable,” filled with rotten food, animal and human feces, and lacking functional plumbing. According to the sheriff’s office, the sinks were clogged, the toilet did not work, and the children had resorted to using a cardboard box as a makeshift bathroom.

Johnson was eventually located in Ann Arbor, roughly 54 miles away from Pontiac, and returned to the home about three hours later. Police believe she frequently left the children alone without adult supervision and noted that while all three were enrolled in school, their attendance had been “sporadic.” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard condemned the situation, calling it “a complete lack of compassion and humanity” and stating he looked forward to seeing justice served.

After her arrest, Johnson appeared for arraignment via Zoom. Her bond was initially set at $250,000, but the offer was revoked after she allegedly threw a chair and yelled an expletive at the magistrate. She remains held with no bond, with her next court date scheduled for November 25.

The father of one of the 9-year-old girls, Julian Gary, told CBS News that he had endured a “rocky” relationship with Johnson and had been cut off from contact in recent months, leaving him unaware of what was happening inside the apartment. Since the children’s removal from the home, he says his daughter is doing significantly better, surrounded by family support and preparing to start in a new school alongside her siblings. He emphasized that the children had endured hardship together and that keeping them united was his priority.