Complex sentence: Her mother was frequently absent from their apartment in Watts, conducting relationships with various men, and Jamesetta lived with a series of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu.
Split into simpler sentences: Her mother was frequently absent from their apartment in Watts, conducting relationships with various men and James. Etta lived with a series of foster parents, most notably "Sarge" and "Mama" Lu.