Mugshot of Jaekwon Joseph Hodge. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A man appeared before a V.I. Superior Court judge on Monday to face charges after police say he assaulted his mother.
Jaekwon Joseph Hodge, age 22, was arrested and charged on December 11 with simple assault as an act of domestic violence, disturbance of the peace and violation of a restraining order.
His arrest follows a report of a disturbance at Home Depot on December 11. According to the probable cause fact sheet, police made contact with the victim who stated that about 8:15 that morning while she was at work at Home Depot, her son Jaekwon Hodge sent her a text message asking about her whereabouts. He sent her another message saying that he was locked out of his grandmother’s residence and needed the spare keys. The woman told police that she told her son he would have to wait outside of his grandmother’s residence because she was at work and she was not leaving.
Shortly after leaving the break room at Home Depot, the woman stated that Hodge showed up at her job, came inside the establishment, saw her and rushed her for the keys. She said he grabbed her around the neck, threw her to the ground and stood over her. An employee intervened and Hodge fled the store in an unknown direction, according to court documents. While she complained of pain to her body from the fall, police did not observe any physical injuries to her body.
The woman had a restraining order placed against her son on November 23, 2022.
Later that day, Hodge was found near Fourth Street and was placed under arrest. He admitted to going to his mother’s place of employment and he also acknowledged the restraining order against him. Hodge denied assaulting his mother at her workplace, according to the probable cause fact sheet.
In court on Monday, a judge ruled that Hodge would be released upon the signing of an unsecured bond in the amount of $1,000.
He was barred from leaving the St. Thomas- St. John District without the court’s written permission and must report to the office of probation once a week. He must also commence a job search, and Hodge was ordered to have no contact, directly or indirectly with the victim or any witnesses.
Hodge was also barred from entering his mother’s workplace. His next court appearance is on December 28, 2022.
