ORLANDO, Fla. – A pastor’s wife now in a coma after being beaten and robbed Friday during a home invasion told police that the suspect claimed to be a community service officer before forcing his way into her Orlando home, according to an arrest affidavit.
Ronald Davis, 55, was arrested about 15 hours after police say he left 85-year-old Lucy Pat Curl unconscious, the affidavit states.
She told investigators that she woke up bleeding and crawled to her vehicle in the garage, honking the horn for a time in hopes that someone would hear, before crawling back into the home and onto the couch where her husband discovered her several hours later. She had tried to call 911, but she couldn’t find her phone, police said.
Curl was hospitalized in critical condition and has since been placed in a medically-induced coma, according to the affidavit.
When an unknown person arrived at the house Friday morning — in the 2300 block of Caribbean Court — he banged on Curl’s front door in such a way that made her think someone may be in trouble, what police said prompted her to answer, the affidavit states. The person claimed to be a community service officer and told Curl that he needed to check her residence, yet when she asked to see his identification, he allegedly showed her what appeared to be a driver’s license before forcing his way into the home and attacking her, according to the affidavit.
Curl told police that she was struck repeatedly as she attempted to fight back until ultimately being knocked unconscious. Investigators noted that a crystal candy jar with a large clump of Curl’s hair on it was seen in a large pool of blood.
In the same room, investigators found Davis’ wallet, police said, adding jewelry and other similar items of value were stolen from the home.
Early Saturday, police responded to an address along Telstar Avenue which Davis had allegedly been associated with. There, he was found in a shed with a woman whom he called his wife, seen wearing several pieces of jewelry that she said Davis had given to her the day prior.
Davis initially told police that his name was “Dwayne” and claimed that he didn’t have his wallet because he lost it more than three weeks earlier. A search warrant for the shed turned up even more jewelry, a jewelry box and several coins that police believe were all stolen from Curl’s home, the affidavit states. It was further observed that Davis was wearing the same kind of clothing that Curl had described, as well as that a smear on the collar area of his sweater tested presumptive positive for human blood, police said.
In the affidavit, police go on to describe Curl’s condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Hospital staff advised that due to her age and how her prescribed medication prevents any surgery to assist with the swelling in her brain, “it is likely that she will not survive her injuries.” The Orlando Police Department thus notified its Homicide Unit to take over the investigation “because it is likely death is imminent,” the affidavit states.
Davis had been released from prison in June 2024 after serving a 15-year concurrent sentence for burglary of a dwelling with assault and battery, as well as robbery, police said Saturday. He now faces charges of home invasion robbery with a weapon, aggravated battery on a person over 65 with great bodily harm and aggravated battery with a weapon.
Lucy Pat Curl’s husband, Bill Curl, performs pastor care at First Baptist Church of Orlando.
During Sunday Service, Senior Pastor Dr. David Uth spoke of Lucy Pat Curl at length.
“Bill had no way of knowing — no one knew — and then she made it to a chair and that’s where Bill found her when he got home, was in that chair. She was still alert and talking and visiting with him trying to tell him exactly what happened. Of course he called 911 and immediately got them down to Orlando Health, the trauma center. But then as it often happens, time began to show the true extent of the injuries, and the last word we got is that the CAT scans, the MRIs, show tremendous brain damage, tremendous brain bleed, and the kind that the doctor said that there’s only one way she’ll ever wake up, and that’s if there’s a miracle,” Uth said. “(...) So, we’re praying today that that miracle comes, but we’re prepared that if the Lord chooses to heal her, (or) taking her home, that’ll be OK too, but it is a such a senseless, violent event that makes- I can’t give you an explanation.”
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