TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Father of slain high school star gets probation in battery case

Tribune file photo by JULIE BUSCH

Vidal Mills discusses the March incident in which he beat a teenager he believed to be involved with his son's death.

ADVERTISEMENT

By TOM BRENNAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 13, 2009

TAMPA - The father of slain Jefferson High football star Cedric "C.J." Mills pleaded no contest today to a misdemeanor charge of beating a teen who allegedly bragged about killing his son.

Vidal Mills also pleaded no contest to an unrelated battery charge.

Hillsborough County Judge John Conrad approved a plea bargain worked out between prosecutors and Mills and his attorney.

Mills was sentenced to a year of probation, fined $200 and ordered to perform 25 hours of community service on each charge.

Conrad also ordered Mills to undergo anger management evaluation. The judge said the probation can be terminated after nine months if Mills has no problems.

"It was the best decision to put it behind me," Mills said.

He said he didn't want to put his stepdaughter through the stress of a trial. She would have been the key defense witness.

Mills, a former professional football player, will be able to perform his community service at the nonprofit foundation he created to memorialize his son. It provides tutoring, mentoring and athletic training for youngsters.

"I'm trying to get the street mentality out of the area," he said.

C.J. Mills, 17, was killed in his driveway April 25, 2007, when two men jumped out of a Chrysler Sebring and fatally shot him. No arrests have been made; the case remains open.

Mills' sister was working at a McDonald's on North Dale Mabry Highway on Oct. 15 when she recognized a customer who had been bragging in the neighborhood that he killed her brother.

She told her mother, who told Vidal Mills. The elder Mills arrived at the restaurant and hit Fredrick Powell, then 19, in the face, grabbed him from behind and began dragging him toward the exit. When Powell resisted, Mills began kicking him.

Mills said his anger got the best of him.

"I am learning how to control that anger and put it in a positive direction," he said.

In January 2005, Mills pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge for punching someone who had fought with his son.

Mills said when he gets angry now he goes to his son's grave and sits.

He also said working with the foundation helps him deal with his grief. Continuing his work is another reason he accepted the plea.

He said he tries to remain optimistic that police will make an arrest in his son's slaying.

"I'm going to let them do what they need to do," he said. "I don't have faith in them; I trust in the Lord."

Mills said he and his family are working at not keeping their emotions bottled up and talking about their grief.

"Hopefully, one day my heart will ease," he said. "But it will never go away."

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 259-7698.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT