A murder victim was found Sunday evening near a burning car off Cherry Lake Road not far from the fence around the Village of Caroline.
The Villages Public Safety Department responded to a vehicle fire shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday in the 8700 block of NE 102nd Road near the Sumter County/Lake County line.
While firefighters attended to the vehicle they discovered a dead man near the burning 2011 Ford Focus SE. Firefighters immediately notified law enforcement. Upon law enforcement’s arrival, it was determined that the man was the victim of “homicidal violence,” according to a news release from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
He has been identified as 29-year-old Joel Aaron Curry of Leesburg.
The sheriff’s office is seeking assistance with this homicide investigation. The public is being asked to come forward with anything suspicious they might have seen. If you have any information on this case please contact Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477), you may be eligible for a reward or call the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office at 352-793-2621.
