Father of missing toddler back in court after another arrest
When the world’s eyes were on the case of 2-yearold Caylee Marie Anthony, there was another Florida girl who had gone missing who has never been found: HaLeigh Cummings, a 5-year-old from Putnam County who disappeared in 2009 whose case is still considered an unsolved homicide.
While her father, Ronald Cummings, was never a suspect in her case, he has been in trouble with the law for other reasons, including spending more than 10 years in prison for drug trafficking. After his release last October, he was arrested again on Christmas Day, and was due back in court Thursday on charges from that arrest, according to a report from WJXT.com.
He was arrested by Putnam County sheriff ’s deputies after a vehicle crash on seven charges including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, drug possession and drug trafficking, according to jail records.
He remains jailed on $185,000 bond, and the hearing was an effort to reduce that bail, the station reported.
The TV station stated the arrest report said Cummings attempted to steal a gun off a deputy’s belt and told the deputy, “You think I’m afraid of prison?”
Cummings pleaded guilty in 2010 for drug trafficking along with his girlfriend, Misty Croslin, Misty’s brother Hank Croslin and Donna Brock. The investigation into the four had been ongoing at the time of HaLeigh’s disappearance. All received sentences from 15 to 25 years, although both Brock and Cummings were released in 2022 and Hank Croslin was set to be released this month. Misty Croslin’s sentence runs through 2031.
HaLeigh’s disappearance came months after the body of Caylee Marie Anthony had been found in Orlando. Her mother Casey Anthony was charged in her murder, but was found not guilty during her 2011 trial.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office never found HaLeigh’s body and the case remains an unsolved homicide.