A man now faces up to 40 years in prison for the attempted rape of a Charlottesville woman in 2018.
Mario Jarman Hodges, 48, who has no official address listed in court records, was arrested in August 2018 and charged with abduction with the intent to defile, attempted rape, malicious wounding and providing false identification to law enforcement following a vicious assault on the woman.
Tuesday in Charlottesville Circuit Court, Hodges pleaded guilty to attempted rape, malicious wounding and an amended charge of simple abduction, which carries a significantly smaller maximum sentence than the life sentence maximum carried by the charge of abduction with the intent to defile.
According to a summary of evidence presented by city Commonwealth’s Attorney Joe Platania, on the night of Aug. 20, 2018, a woman was attacked by Hodges while walking home from work on Rose Hill Drive.
“She saw an individual in blue scrubs sprinting towards her in a menacing manner,” Platania said. “He tackled her to the ground, started choking her and stated, ‘I’m going to rape you.’”
The woman tried to fight back but was punched several times in the face before feigning unconsciousness, at which point Hodges picked her up by the throat and carried her to an alleyway, Platania said.
After Hodges slammed her head into an air conditioning unit, the woman again screamed for help, prompting a man who lived nearby to come outside and call the police. Hodges then ran away toward the Downtown Mall, Platania said.
Police were given a description of the assailant and located Hodges within minutes.
“His clothing was torn and bloody and the officer noticed fresh abrasions on the defendant’s knuckles,” Platania said. “He said he had been jumped by two men and gotten into a fight but didn’t want to pursue charges.”
The woman was transported to Hodges’ location, where she positively identified him, pointing to his shirt, which she had ripped while trying to fight him off. Hodges was arrested and a forensic analysis of blood found on his clothing indicated the presence of the woman’s DNA.
Seated at the defense table, Hodges told the judge that though he was pleading guilty, he did not agree with the attempted rape charge. He entered an Alford plea, indicating that, though he did not admit guilt, there was enough evidence to convict him.
Platania indicated that the attempted rape charge was based on testimony from the woman and what she said she remembered Hodges saying.
Hodges’ public defender, Liz Murtagh, said her client was operating under significant mental health issues at the time of the crime and that they would expand on this during the sentencing phase of the case.
Sentencing is set for May 25 in Charlottesville Circuit Court.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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