TAVARES, Fla. — Tavares police gave updates Friday morning on the case of a 10-year-old boy who was tortured and remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Kimberley Mills and her boyfriend Andre Walker now face two counts of aggravated child abuse, two counts of accessory to aggravated child abuse and one count of tampering with evidence.
Mills also faces two counts of child neglect.
Police say both suspects abused the boy. They said the boy’s 9-year-old brother is also a victim.
The case came to light when police say the couple brought the child to AdventHealth Waterman the night of Feb. 22. Hospital staff called police, saying the boy showed signs of physical abuse, at which point the suspects left the hospital.
During the investigation, police singled out Mills, saying she tried to hide the abuse evidence and forced the boys to wear long-sleeved shirts to cover their marks.
“Whenever they left the hospital they went back to the residence to try to do a hasty cleanup. I’m happy to say that they did a really bad job because we were able to obtain several pieces of evidence that will definitely assist our case,” said Tavares police spokeswoman Courtney Sullivan.
“Kimberley Mills made absolute certainty – made sure – that these kids were not going to tell teachers and that no one would find out,” Sullivan added.
Detective say Walker entered Mill’s life two months ago, and the torture began around that time.
Police say they are waiting to see if the 10-year-old recovers. If not, police say they have more charges ready to go.
“I think they are exactly where they need to be, and I hope that they remain there. Our agency is doing everything we can to make sure that they stay there,” said Sullivan.
Investigators say neither suspect is cooperating.
Both Mills and Walker pleaded not guilty to initial child abuse charges before the new charges were announced.
Before the new charges hit, Walker’s attorney asked a judge to release him on bail. That hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
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