TAVARES, Fla.—The boy police say died Friday from savage abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend has been identified and a candlelight vigil has been scheduled to honor and celebrate his life.
Xavier Williams, 10, died Friday from injuries he suffered from the abuse after spending nearly a month in the hospital. His mother, Kimberley Mills, and her boyfriend, Andre Walker brought Xavier to the hospital in cardiac arrest and covered in burns and bruises in February.
The vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 29 at Wooton Park in Tavares.
“Xavier’s family warmly invites everyone in our community to join them in this moment of remembrance and gratitude for your overwhelming support during this time,” Tavares Police Department Public Information Office Courtney Sullivan said.
Xavier was a “victim of unimaginable abuse and neglect at the hands of those who were meant to care for him,” Sullivan said Friday. “This innocent child’s life was marked by unspeakable suffering, and his loss has deeply shaken our community and everyone involved in this case.”
Mills, 37, has been in the Lake County Jail since Feb. 23, charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse, two counts of child neglect, two counts of accessory to aggravated child abuse and one count of tampering with evidence and Walker is facing two counts of aggravated child abuse, two counts of accessory to aggravated child abuse and one count of tampering with evidence. Police believe he’s been Mills’ boyfriend for just a few months.
Throughout its investigation TPD found Xavier and his little brother were victims of abuse. “Both Kimberley Mills and Andre Walker participated in torturing and abusing these two children,” Sullivan said last month.
Previous story: Community mourns loss of Tavares boy, a victim of “unimaginable abuse” – Inside Lake
