The Tavares Police Department has issued a call for help in locating a man linked to a disturbing case of child abuse that has left a boy fighting for his life. Authorities were alerted to the situation upon responding to a call from AdventHealth Waterman, where a juvenile male was discovered with multiple injuries and signs of long-term physical abuse.
According to ClickOrlando, the boy was brought to the hospital covered in bruises, burn marks, and other injuries at various stages of healing. The medical team performed life-saving measures before airlifting him to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. The mother of the child, 37-year-old Kimberley Mills, and a man initially accompanied the child to the hospital. Still, she hastily departed upon learning that the police had been called, leaving behind a scene that hinted at deep-rooted violence and pain.
Mills later returned with another child, yet the man, identified as 36-year-old Andre Walker, did not. "Through the evening and into the early morning hours, Detectives conducted a search warrant on Kimberley Mills’ residence where they were able to locate pertinent pieces of evidence," states the release from Tavares police, as reported by ClickOrlando.
Walker is wanted on charges of accessory after the fact to aggravated child abuse. The man is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with a slender build, and has facial hair characterized by a dark mustache and gray beard, as detailed by WESH. Officials believe he may drive a silver 2022 Toyota Tacoma SR5 with Florida license plate EQUU98. Mills has been taken into custody facing aggravated child abuse charges, her bail denied, and her role in the incident fixed like a dark cloud over her future and, more critically, the future of her children.
