A bizarre and disturbing incident at a Vero Beach hotel has concluded with a jail sentence for a man who claimed he was performing an exorcism. Frank Joseph Lagola has officially been sentenced to nine months in jail after pleading no contest to charges stemming from a December 2025 attack at a local motel.
According to records from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, the unsettling event unfolded on December 23, 2025, at the Econo Lodge located at 950 U.S. Highway 1 in Vero Beach. Deputies were originally dispatched to the property after a concerned witness heard a woman desperately screaming for help.
Upon arrival, Indian River County deputies discovered a frantic and visibly wet victim who stated she had been physically restrained inside her hotel room by a man throwing “holy” water on her under the guise of an exorcism.
The victim, identified in arrest affidavits as Coppeto, detailed a terrifying ordeal to local law enforcement:
- She had been residing at the hotel for approximately a week and was actively attempting to leave the room when the altercation began.
- Lagola allegedly became highly agitated, refusing to allow her to exit the premises.
- He physically pinned the victim down, struck her on the top of her head, and doused her in water.
- Without access to a cellphone, she was forced to scream loudly to attract the attention of bystanders to escape the situation.
When questioned by deputies at the scene, Lagola provided a highly unusual defense. He claimed that the victim had begun speaking in Latin and that he genuinely believed she was possessed by the devil. Lagola openly admitted to investigators that he held the woman down against her will while reading Bible passages in an attempt to rid her of the alleged demonic possession.
The severity of the situation was corroborated by a witness at the hotel, who reported hearing the victim yelling to stop and pleading for help before seeing a man physically restrain her in the doorway, preventing her from leaving. Following the investigation, Lagola was immediately arrested by deputies.
Lagola faced serious charges of false imprisonment and battery. Following his recent no-contest plea, court records indicate he was sentenced to nine months in jail. However, having been held in the St. Lucie County Jail since the initial arrest, Lagola was credited with 297 days of time served, effectively bringing his sentence to a close.
