POMONA PARK, Fla. — The father of a 5-year-old Putnam County girl who went missing in 2009 was arrested on Christmas Day. Ronald Cummings, 39, was booked on several charges unrelated to the child's disappearance including drug possession, assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.
A Putnam County Sheriff's Office incident report released Monday details what lead up to the arrest.
The report says a deputy responded to a call just before midnight for a vehicle fire at Sisco Road and Olivia Lane in Pomona Park, the report states. The deputy approached the Hyundai Sonata that had run into a road sign.
The vehicle was running and Cummings was behind the wheel and appeared to be sleeping with a full bottle of Hennessy in his lap, the report states.
"After several attempts to wake the male up, he began making moaning noises and slurred statements that I could not understand," the deputy states in the incident report.
The deputy turned the vehicle off and made multiple commands for Cummings to exit the car. After attempting to get out of the car, Cummings got back into the driver's seat and attempted to start the car ignoring the deputy's commands. "He replied, 'F***you'" the report states. As the deputy attempted to pull Cummings from the car, Cummings got out pushed the officer in the chest and told the officer to leave him alone.
The deputy attempted to put Cummings' arms behind his back and, "he put one of his hands on the grip/handle of my agency-issued Glock 17 and began pulling in an upright manner. I believed the male was trying to gain possession of my firearm to use it," the report says. During the scuffle, Cummings knocked the officer's communications radio to the ground preventing him from calling for help, the report states.
The deputy was eventually able to put Cummings in handcuffs and, "Ronald stated multiple things to me and began rapping and saying, 'You p***** a** cracker,' and 'You think I’m scared of prison,'" the deputy states in the report.
Cummings is being held in jail on $185,000 bond after being booked on the following charges:
- Resisting with Violence
- Battery on law enforcement officer
- Deprive of Means of Protection or Communication
- Control Substance without Prescription
- Drug Equipment Possession
- Marijuana Possession not more than 20 Grams
- Trafficking Oxycodone 7 grams or more
Cummings told the deputy he was willing to give a breath sample at the jail, but, "It should be noted that due to the Intoxilyzer 8000 being out of date of compliance, I was unable to perform a DUI investigation," the report states.
First Coast News asked Putnam County officials why the machine wasn't working properly and how long that's been a problem. Officials said they are able to access a breathalyzer when needed, in the event of a head-on crash or traffic homicide, but the county's equipment needs to be recalibrated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in Tallahassee, a process delayed by the holidays.
The spokesperson said a test was not pursued in this case because it would have only been a felony charge, and Cummings already faces five felonies.
The disappearance of Haleigh Cummings
Haleigh was 5 years old when she disappeared from her Satsuma home in the middle of the night in February 2009. At the time of her disappearance, investigators say she was at home with her brother and Misty Croslin, Ronald Cummings' girlfriend.
When Ronald Cummings came home from work, Haleigh was gone and to this day has never been found
Ronald Cummings and Croslin were at the center of the investigation surrounding Haleigh's disappearance, but were never charged.
However, they were both arrested on drug charges during the investigation. Ronald Cummings served more than a dozen years in prison. He was released just a few months ago in October.
“Despite being given a clean slate after serving his time in prison, Ronald has returned to his old ways and is a menace to our community,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach stated in a news release. "He not only put lives in danger with his actions, he also attempted to endanger our deputy and medical personnel ... Some people do not take the second chances they’ve been given to change their lives and his actions reflect this."
