Man accused of kidnapping, rape of girl, 11, held on no bail

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Lake County man who originally sparked an Amber Alert is being held without bail in the Orange County Jail.

Darrell Mills is accused of kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old family member, deputies said.

Mills took the girl from a home on Edlerton Drive in Apopka Sunday morning, deputies said. A family member told investigators she saw Mills dragging the naked victim, who was screaming and crying, into a wooded area, investigators said.

A neighbor later alerted deputies of their whereabouts, investigators said.

Holly Grady, who used to live next door to Mills, told Channel 9's Mike Manzoni her son used to call Mills "Uncle Darrell."

"He always held my son, and whenever my son was born, it was just like a connection was just like that,” Grady said.

Grady said over time the connection grew stronger and Mills insisted she and her son think of him as a relative.

"He said, 'family isn't always blood. He can always call me Uncle Darrell,'" Grady said.

Mills faces charges of kidnapping and sexual battery on a minor.

Eyewitness News learned Mills has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1989. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for felony charges related to grand theft of a vehicle in 1996.

Mills also pleaded guilty to introducing contraband into the jail and escape in 1996, records show.

His driver's license was also suspended for a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in 1996, court records show.

Since the case is so old, paperwork filed as part of the cases won't be available until the clerk of court's office reopens Tuesday.

It's unclear how much time Mills actually served for these charges. He was released from prison in Oct. 2014, records with the Florida Department of Corrections show.

If you suspect someone is being abused, call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873.

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