LAKE COUNTY, FLA. – The couple charged with torturing a 10-year-old to the point of death taped the boy to a ladder and dropped weights on his stomach, according to police.
Besides a 10-pound weight, a search of the family home also turned up a thick, insulated copper wire used to inflict pain on the child and his younger sibling, Tavares Police Detective Courtney Sullivan said in a press release Wednesday.
“This innocent child has endured unimaginable pain at the hands of those who were meant to protect him,” she said.
The child has remained in critical condition since his mother, Kimberley Mills, and her boyfriend of two months, Andre Walker, took him to the hospital on Feb. 22. The couple left the hospital when they learned police had been called. She was performing CPR on him in the car when they arrived at the emergency room. She later returned with the younger child in tow.
Police say she is a registered nurse, but it is not known if she was working somewhere at the time.
The Department of Children and Families have been conducting its own information, according to court records. It is not known if the child welfare agency had earlier dealings with the family. DCF has refused to comment, citing state confidentiality exemptions to the Sunshine Law.
The child was covered with bruises and burn marks, police said.
“Kimberley was methodical in what her children wore and what they said to others to ensure that absolutely no one could learn what she was doing to her children,” Sullivan said at a press conference shortly after the couple was arrested.
Teachers at their school were not aware they were being harmed because she dressed them in long-sleeved shirts, Sullivan said.
“Through the courage of this young sibling, detectives uncovered the horrifying details of the abuse. This little boy revealed how both he and his older brother suffered unspeakable torment. His bravery in sharing these truths has given our team the determination to ensure that justice is served,” Sullivan said.
Mills and Walker face multiple charges of aggravated child abuse, neglect, and tampering with evidence.
This week, a judge in a special hearing denied bond for Walker.
The Tavares Police Department and the Tavares Police Charity are committed to supporting these children during this incredibly difficult time. We are accepting gift card donations to help provide care and comfort for the boys and their family. Donations can be made in person at the Tavares Police Department or online through the Tavares Police Charity’s Facebook page.