TAVARES, Fla.—The man accused of savagely abusing both his girlfriend’s sons was denied bond Tuesday by Lake Circuit Judge Brian Welke.
Andre Walker, 36, is accused of abusing the 10-year-old son of his girlfriend, Kimberley Mills, 37, leaving him in critical condition. Tavares police say Mills, “was methodical in what her children wore and what they said to others to ensure that absolutely no one would learn of what she was doing to her children behind closed doors.”
“Our department has been working closely with the State Attorney’s Office on this case since day one. We prepared for today and the State Attorney’s Office did a phenomenal job presenting their evidence as to why Andre Walker should remain in the Lake County Jail on no bond. We are pleased with the judge’s decision today,” TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan said.
The boy has been in critical condition since Feb. 22 when Mills and Walker brought him to AdventHealth Waterman in Tavares in cardiac arrest. Throughout its investigation, Tavares Police Department uncovered the boy’s younger brother, 9, also was abused. Neither boy has been named publicly.
Mills and Walker fled the hospital last month when they found out law enforcement had been contacted. Mills soon returned with her younger son, and was arrested but Walker remained on the run until he turned himself in Feb. 24 and the couple has been held on no bond since their arrests. Walker, who has retained Orlando attorney Bryanna Bynum of Smith & Eulo Law Firm, filed a motion to set bond the day after he turned himself in, and on Tuesday, Welke denied that request, calling the crimes “egregious.”
Bynum also entered a plea of not guilty on Walker’s behalf, waived his arraignment and pretrial conference and requested discovery and his charging document. Mills is represented by Roxane Davis, a public defender appointed to the case, and has also pleaded not guilty.
More charges were added to the couple late last week and even more charges are possible, Sullivan said. “We ask that you keep the boys and their family in your thoughts and prayers.”
