Wednesday, November 13, 2024

JCC Man Pleads No Contest to Hitting 70-Year-Old Woman with Hammer

William R. Hodge (Courtesy Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail)
William R. Hodge (Courtesy Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail)

A 69-year-old James City County man pleaded no contest on Monday after police say he hit a 70-year-old woman he knows with a hammer at a home in the Fox Ridge neighborhood.

William R. Hodge was arrested in November and charged with felony maiming. The woman suffered a few lumps and lacerations on the back of her head.

Despite the plea, a finding has not been pronounced on Hodge. A judge will issue a finding — either guilty or not guilty — during a sentencing hearing scheduled for Hodge at 9 a.m. Sept. 2.

Williamsburg-James City County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Archana McLaughlin said Hodge’s attorney requested to wait for the sentencing hearing to issue a finding.

During that hearing, a pre-sentence report will be presented to the judge. The report contains detailed information about Hodge.

“We thought the information from the pre-sentence report would be valuable to the court,” McLaughlin said. “There were some mental health issues that might have contributed.”

Hodge was evaluated and determined to be competent to stand trial.

Police received a phone call from the 70-year-old woman at about 6:50 p.m. Oct. 30. During the call, she said Hodge attacked her with a hammer in the Fox Ridge neighborhood.

The woman fled to a neighbor’s house, where medics went to treat the woman. Police then went to Hodge’s house on Longhill Station Road, where he told them he hit her with a hammer but “wasn’t sure why.”

The woman told officers there was an argument and that Hodge gave her no reason for hitting her.

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