ST. THOMAS – A man who allegedly stabbed his roommate following a brief exchange of words is now facing felony assault charges.
Police were summoned to the Schneider Regional Medical Center on Wednesday evening to investigate a reported assault. There, they met a man who told them that he was riding his scooter home that day, to his Oswald Harris Court apartment.
Upon arrival, he said he encountered his roommate, Benjamin Hodge, sitting outside the residence. Hodge reportedly warned his roommate “Mind I don't jam you!” as the man walked up to the house. The roommate reportedly replied with an expletive, upon which Hodge reportedly went into the apartment and retrieved a knife.
The man recounted how Hodge began running towards him, prompting the roommate to attempt to flee back towards his scooter in an attempt to escape. Hodge had already caught up to him, however, and reportedly stabbed him in the back. The injured man told police that the knife was wrapped in a black cloth, and that Hodge was known to carry that knife in a black backpack. He also told responding officers that this is not the first time Hodge has assaulted someone in the residence with the weapon.
After being assaulted, the man said that he ran inside the apartment and notified a friend that he needed to go to the hospital. As he was leaving, the man told police that he saw Hodge repeatedly stabbing the tires of his scooter.
On Thursday afternoon, police were alerted that Hodge was in the vicinity of Oswald Harris Court, and tracked him down near Building 3. He was detained and transported to the Richard Callwood Command police station, where he reportedly declined to provide a statement. At that point, Hodge was arrested. A search of his backpack yielded a wooden-bladed knife wrapped in a black cloth, a black collapsible baton, and other miscellaneous items. He was charged with third-degree assault as a crime of domestic violence. He was also charged with carrying or using dangerous weapons, destruction of property, vehicle tampering, and disturbance of the peace. Hodge was remanded into custody to await his advice of rights hearing.
In court on Friday, Magistrate Paula Norkaitis found probably cause to uphold all charges against Hodge. She ordered bail set at $75,000, of which he must pay $15,000 to secure his release ahead of trial. A modification to his bail requirements would be considered once a third-party custodian has been approved by the court.
If Hodge is able to satisfy his bail requirements, he will be required to report to the probation office each week in person. He must also vacate the shared apartment and will be given one opportunity to retrieve his belongings, accompanied by police or a marshal of the Superior Court. He will also be required to keep at least 50 feet away from the alleged victim, and is banned from dangerous weapons, alcohol and controlled substances while trial is pending.
The next court appearance for Hodge has been scheduled for January 10, 2025.
