Zachary Mills Wiki, Biography
On Thursday, December 29, Houston man Zachary Mills was arrested for allegedly kidnapping his online date, before assaulting her over the course of five days. According to Houston Public Media, on December 24, the female victim allegedly arrived at Zachary Mills’ residence after meeting him on the online dating platform, Bumble.
After she rebuffed the suspect’s advances, he reportedly attacked her and then held her against her will for further torture and abuse. She claimed that the cruel treatment continued until she was able to escape from the Zachary Mills residence on December 29.
Zachary Mills pleads not guilty to the charges against him
The suspect has been charged with first degree kidnapping. According to the New York Post, after the woman reportedly refused her advances, he bit her, punched her, and assaulted her with the handle of a screwdriver. In an official statement issued by Harris County authorities, the nature of the abuse was further detailed.
The statement said:
“While she was being held against her will, (the female victim) was denied food and water and she was assaulted and sexually assaulted multiple times, resulting in serious bodily injury.” In an interview with KHOU, Harris County Police Precinct 4 Captain Jonathan Zitzmann described the nature of the victim’s injuries.
He said:
“The victim in this case had severe injuries to the face, orbits, lower extremities; Fortunately, we were able to get her to the hospital very quickly.”
Houston Public Media stated that the day after the victim reported the crime to authorities, Harris County officials executed a search warrant on the suspect’s home. He was subsequently arrested at a gas station across the street from the alleged crime scene. According to WSAZ, the incident shocked several residents of the area.
A neighbor, Keyana Archer said:
“People are crazy. It’s pretty scary that the new world of dating is mostly online.”
However, Zachary Mills’ defense attorney, Chris Denuna, said his client pleads not guilty. He stated that the allegations against Mills seem unlikely, as he was not convinced that the victim was held against his will for five days.
He said:
“I don’t want to be insensitive to the complaining witness or anyone who has experienced these traumatic events, but it’s important to know that there are two sides to the story.”
Denuna continued:
“My client is presumed innocent as established through due process, and I think it’s important to point that out once we have everything turned over to the DA’s office. I think a lot of light will be shed and a lot of questions answered. The credibility of these accusations may be questioned.”
He told KHOU in a separate interview:
“(I have not) seen anything in the allegations that makes them credible.”
Zachary Mills is currently being held in the Harris County Jail with bail set at $50,000.