Darrell Brooks feels 'dehumanized' and 'demonized' in jail as mother refuses to visit
Waukesha Christmas parade suspect Darrell Brooks said that he feels "dehumanized" and "demonized" as he remains jailed as his own mother hasn't paid him a visit after he allegedly plowed through a crowd killing six and injuring 60 others on November 21. His ex-girlfriend has spoken out in the aftermath of the attack, saying she is deeply horrified by his "monstrous acts."
"I just feel like I'm being... demonized," the 39-year-old told Fox News after his bond was set at $5 million by a judge. Brooks was charged with six counts of first-degree intentional homicide Monday after a sixth victim died from his injuries. He also told the outlet he felt 'dehumanized' by the process. The woman with whom Brooks shares a teenage son and who has preferred to remain anonymous has little sympathy to offer for the accused. "It was a monstrous act and it's completely irredeemable," the woman told Fox News. "I'm mortified and devastated and have lost sleep for days over this. Obviously, I wish it did not happen."
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Brooks' son is heartbroken by his father's actions
Brooks' son, who has not seen his father in more than a year, also felt heartbroken by the senseless attack, said the woman. The son only had irregular contact with him for the last decade. She revealed that Brooks has been on medication because of his extensive history of mental health issues. "He's always been in and out of jail — he hasn't been present," she said. "I raised my son without him." She added that she has a "successful career," although she refrained from going into the details of the industry she worked in.
According to court papers obtained by FOX, Brooks owes his former partner $41,000 in child support. However, the woman said that the $151 monthly payment Brooks is supposed to pay "isn't going to make or break us."
Brooks' mother regrets bailing him out before the parade incident
Brooks, who faces life in prison if convicted, is currently being held on a $5 million bail in Wisconsin. Just five days before the tragedy, he was granted a $1,000 bail. Jail records showed that Brooks was booked into the Waukesha County Jail on November 16 and released the same day. According to the source, Waukesha County deputies picked up Brooks from the Milwaukee County Jail earlier that day. He was accused of running over the mother of his child with a vehicle in a gas station parking lot on November 2.
The bail was posted by his mother, Dawn Woods, at the time but after the tragic turn of events, she has admitted that she regretted having bailed him out. She also cited the lack of mental health support as a triggering factor for his behavior. "Instead of offering help and resources to combat the problem, a jail cell was given. Over and over again. When mental illness is not properly treated the person becomes sicker and sicker," she said in a statement. "We are not making excuses but we believe what has happened is because he was not given the help and resources he needed. Institutions that are equipped and have trained staff is what was needed as well as resources in the communities where people who suffer with mental illness live."
Brooks' ex-girlfriend said that his mother felt "devastated and disgusted." "She didn't know that he was capable of doing something like this. It's not the way she raised him," she said. "I feel so bad and I'm praying for everybody. Not just for the physical pain but for the mental pain they're going to go through for years to come. The toll is irreparable."