Trigger Warning: Rape

Man Pleads Guilty to Raping Norfolk Hotel Employee in 2023

NORFOLK, Va. – Donte Jamal Davis, 30, pleaded guilty on Thursday to raping a downtown Norfolk hotel housekeeper last year.

On May 15, 2023, the employee was cleaning a hotel room and had left the door ajar as she worked. Mr. Davis came into the room with his genitals exposed, threatened the employee with a knife, and raped her. The employee’s supervisor came to the room to check on her work, heard the employee call for help, and saw Mr. Davis. Mr. Davis pushed past the supervisor, ran out of the room while still in a state of undress, and threatened to kill the supervisor after she chased behind him.

Security footage from the hotel hallways and exits showed Mr. Davis fleeing, and photos of Mr. Davis were disseminated to all Norfolk Police officers and local security agencies. Later that day, an off-duty officer saw Mr. Davis boarding a Light Rail train and recognized Mr. Davis from the photos. The officer reported the sighting of Mr. Davis to the case investigators, who served a search warrant on Hampton Roads Transit for footage showing Mr. Davis. Investigators also obtained and executed a search warrant on a residence connected to Mr. Davis. There, they found Mr. Davis’ belongings that matched items the suspect was seen with in both the hotel and Light Rail footage. Subsequent DNA testing of some of those items confirmed the presence of the victim’s blood and Mr. Davis’ sperm.

On Thursday, the first day of his requested jury trial, Mr. Davis accepted an agreement to plead guilty to rape as charged. Under the plea agreement, the judge will set Mr. Davis’ sentence, but that sentence will be no greater than 31 years in prison. Judge Everett A. Martin Jr. accepted Mr. Davis’ plea agreement and set his sentencing for Aug. 2.

“I feel deeply for the survivor of Mr. Davis’ crime,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “She was at work, doing her job, and caring for others, and Mr. Davis preyed on her where she deserved to feel safe. I hope that Mr. Davis’ admission of his guilt and his eventual sentencing will offer her some closure. Mr. Davis’ conviction will protect the community from further violence.”

Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Shavaughn N. Banks is prosecuting Mr. Davis’ case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective Jennifer M. Baron led the investigation.

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