14-year-old Boy Faces Sentencing for Assault on Elderly Woman; Grandmother’s Plea to Replace Defense Attorney Denied

The 14-year-old boy accused of breaking into a 91-year-old woman’s home and raping her will be sentenced next month, despite objections from the minor’s guardian.

The boy’s grandmother informed the court that her grandson wants to terminate defense attorney Jonathan Mills. She made the comments Thursday during a change of plea hearing before Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon.

Wearing red jeans and a brown shirt and appearing by Zoom from the county jail, the child informed the judge that he was satisfied with his lawyer and wanted to enter a plea.

Once the boy’s grandmother had calmed down, the judge asked the boy, whose name had been withheld by the Star-Banner due to his age, if he wanted to proceed with the hearing, to which he responded yes. To avoid identifying the boy, the newspaper will not release the grandmother’s identity.

The court asked the youngster a series of questions to ensure that he was competent and knew his rights. For example, when the court asked the youngster if he had ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder, he replied, “Yes, ADHD.” The youngster stated that he has not been taking the pills since they harmed him. He assured the judge that he could think clearly without the medicine.

The boy faces charges of sexual assault and burglary with battery. He could face up to life in jail for the battery charge. With the sex charge, he may face up to 15 years in prison.

Mills told the court that he met with his client multiple times and discussed the matter with him, including the strengths and weaknesses of the state’s case, which included DNA evidence and the boy’s confession to law enforcement officers. Katrina Self, an assistant state attorney, is prosecuting the case.

When asked for his plea, the kid said guilty. The plea means that at the December sentencing hearing, the judge will hear from both the prosecution and the defense before imposing the punishment.

The child told the court that he had not been threatened or given anything in exchange for his guilty plea. The judge ordered a pre-sentence probe and pre-dispositional report.

The boy’s grandmother, who appeared despondent, temporarily walked out of the hearing. She returned and listened to the remainder of the proceedings.

At the end of the hearing, Mills told a Star-Banner reporter that his client attends school while in prison. The court hired a lawyer to represent the boy. The youngster was in jail for the hearing, but he was segregated from the adults.

The lawyer stated that the state made a plea deal, which the defense rejected. He declined to discuss the conditions of the offer.

At 14, the defendant is among the youngest juveniles to face adult charges in the 5th Judicial Circuit, which includes Marion, Lake, Sumter, Citrus, and Hernando counties.

According to authorities, on June 9, the woman contacted 911 to report being attacked by an unknown individual who physically and sexually assaulted her inside her Reddick home. The elderly woman was brought to the hospital for treatment while deputies investigated.

According to detectives, the woman reported seeing a shadow in her home while resting in bed. The intruder barged into the room, and she battled him. She claimed her attacker hit her in the face with a fist. She claimed she prayed while being attacked and once urged the perpetrator to leave her alone.

The woman said the person forcibly removed her panties and violated her. She stated that the attacker left the house after the assault.

Detectives identified the adolescent as a potential suspect after conducting an investigation that included DNA evidence. He was interviewed at the sheriff’s office. The boy acknowledged to entering the woman’s home via the living room door. According to detectives, he claimed to have raped her after seeing pornography on her iPad.