DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit father is speaking out after regaining custody of his 9-year-old daughter, who was among three children found living in deplorable conditions that led to their mother's arrest on child abuse charges.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Teriomas Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on three counts of second-degree child abuse. The three children are now in the custody of their biological fathers.
Julian Gary, father of one of the children, described the moment he was reunited with his daughter after Oakland County sheriff's deputies discovered the horrific living conditions at a Pontiac apartment Friday.
"When I first got my daughter back, we came back straight home, got some food, let her take a shower, let her relax pretty much," Gary said. "Yeah, just let her chill out, process everything, process everything that was going on before we talked about it."
Gary said that conversation was difficult. Johnson is accused of leaving her three children in a filthy apartment with no working plumbing, clogged sinks and conditions so bad the children had to relieve themselves in cardboard boxes.
Hear more from Julian Gary in the video player below:
Deputies discovered the conditions after one of the children called 911 to report a possible break-in at the apartment.
Gary said he suspected the living conditions were poor based on previous experiences.
"There's been a past where... I've never seen that before. That was extreme," Gary said. "When she was homeless actually living in a hotel, and there was just clothes and trash everywhere. And at the time, I didn't have custody, so there was not much I can do besides ask her to give my daughter, so to get her out of that situation."
Previous coverage: Pontiac mom arrested, allegedly abandoned 3 kids in apartment without plumbing, littered with feces
Gary said his daughter had been living with him for about a year until Johnson's mother died in January. He believes the loss sent the 31-year-old into an emotional tailspin.
"Eventually, I gave her back to her mother only because her mother had passed, and so it was a kind of more of a sympathy thing and then she refused to give her back even though I had given her a healthy home, clothes on her back, food, going to school, more consistent life," Gary said.
Gary claims Johnson cut off contact with him and that he had limited contact with his daughter. Meanwhile, the conditions at the apartment deteriorated.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office had responded to a call about the apartment a week before the children were discovered, but officials say the warning signs were not clear at that time.
"We just need to be a little bit more aggressive when we get these type of calls," Maj. Andre Ewing of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said. "But we also have to have probable cause to make entry. And we don't have proper cause, we can't just violate the law, but we're gonna just be a little bit more aggressive to see can we get a peek inside going forward."
Johnson is being held in the Oakland County Jail without bond. The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office says the three children appear to be doing much better and have started enrolling in school and scheduling medical checkups.
This case comes after another Pontiac mom was arrested and charged earlier this year for abandoning her children for years at an apartment. More on that story in the videos below
Watch below: 'I sacrificed my children.' Mom in Pontiac child abandonment case bound over for trial
Watch below: Pontiac mother arrested after abandoning children in home for 4-5 years
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
