A 45-year-old Chillicothe man is sitting in jail without bond after investigators say he repeatedly struck a juvenile in the face, leaving the child with facial swelling and a bloodshot eye. Christopher Lee Mills was arrested Friday and now faces a felony charge of abuse or neglect of a child in Livingston County.
Mills was charged Oct. 23 with a class D felony of abuse or neglect of a child in Livingston County Circuit Court, according to kttn.com. The outlet reports that a judge ordered him held without bond after the charge was filed. Police arrested Mills at a residence on East Polk Street around 12:17 p.m. that day and transported him to the Caldwell County Detention Center.
According to the same report, surveillance footage allegedly captured Mills approaching the juvenile from behind while the child sat on a couch, then striking the child several times. Authorities who responded observed swelling on the right side of the victim's face and eye, which was also bloodshot, northwestmoinfo.com reports.
What Led to the Alleged Assault
Northwestmoinfo's account states that Mills allegedly struck the child, described as his girlfriend's child, in the face after the juvenile used profane language toward a witness. The same outlet reports Mills was being held without bond at the Caldwell County Detention Center following his arrest.
A Livingston County Sheriff's Office inmate roster lists the Chillicothe Police Department as the arresting agency and shows Mills booked on a charge of abuse or neglect of a child, noting he is housed at the Caldwell County facility. A separate booking report from kchi.com similarly identifies Mills, 45, as having been booked for alleged abuse or neglect of a child.
Court Appearance Scheduled Monday
Mills was scheduled for an initial appearance in Livingston County court at 1 p.m. Monday, per northwestmoinfo's reporting. As KMZU first reported, this marked his first scheduled court appearance since the felony charge was filed.
Members of the public can track the progress of the case through Case.net, the Missouri Courts automated case management system, which allows public inquiries into docket entries, parties, judgments and charges in Missouri court cases.
Christopher Lee Mills is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, kttn.com notes. The case remains in its early stages, and no additional hearings have yet been reported.
