Charging documents in a fatal assault case against Jeffrey Mills indicate that Mills may have lashed out in fear of being injured himself.
According to the documents, Mills, a street vendor, told detectives that he was approached by Juan Paredes on Saturday afternoon and that Paredes had “threatened to cut him with a machete-shaped pocket knife.”
Paredes left the area, Mills told detectives, then came back. Mills told detectives that he then heard Paredes and others speaking in Spanish. Mills told detectives he does not understand Spanish and thought that one of the men with Paredes may have stabbed him last year and that they were “taunting” him.
He struck Paredes with a metal pole, Milles told detectives. A long metal barbell was recovered from the scene.
Mills has not, at this time, been charged with murder. He’s due in court next Friday for a preliminary hearing on the assault charge.
Charging documents are below.
