Flint Township children found living alone in squalor: Mother facing charges

VIDEO: Genesee County children found living alone in squalor

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED: Flint Township police officers were called out to a home for a simple welfare check. When they arrived, officials say they felt as if they were walking into an abandoned house. Trash caked the floors to the point where they couldn’t take a normal step. 

FLINT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - Two children with special needs in Flint Township were found alone in a home caked in filth and investigators say they have been left there for days. 

Big picture view:

Flint Township police officers were called out to a home for a simple welfare check. When they arrived, officials say they felt as if they were walking into an abandoned house. Trash caked the floors to the point where they couldn’t take a normal step. 

They found a faucet running endlessly with water spilling onto the trashy floor. 

Police say feces was smeared along the walls at a child's height. There were no clean clothes, no food in the kitchen, no phone, no tablet, no way for anyone to reach the outside world. 

Meanwhile, two children with special needs were left inside it alone.

Police say one child was found trying to eat raw, spoiled meat. The other 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," Flint Township police said in a Facebook post. "Strip that away, and even a short disruption can feel overwhelming. In that house, hours stretched into days. Hunger and thirst set in, and confusion turned into fear. No meals at set times, no bedtime routine, no adult guidance magnified every sound, every shadow, every moment of uncertainty."

Police say detectives confirmed the children had been left for days without supervision, care and protection as their mother was not there. They had no caregiver who stepped in.

"While her children endured filth, hunger, and fear, she prioritized herself over their safety, abandoning them to survive on their own," the Facebook post continued.

What's next:

On Feb. 20, the Genesee County Prosecutors Office authorized the following charges for the mother, Krystal Farmer:

• 2 counts of felony child abandonment
• 2 counts of felony child abuse in the 2nd degree
• 2 counts of felony child abuse in the 2nd degree in the presence of another child
• 1 count of felony lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation.

What you can do:

Police say the heartbreaking situation is also a story of hope, as the reason the children were found was because a neighbor spoke up. Police say if you see something. Say something.