CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas man who led police on a dangerous high-speed chase through downtown streets and past schools nearly two years to the day — has been arrested again — this time for “assaulting” his own daughter and discharging a weapon next to her mother’s head in Estate Fortuna on Tuesday, authorities said.
Darren Hodge, 41, of Savan, was arrested at 11:01 a.m. today and charged with third-degree assault- domestic violence, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
“Hodge is accused of assaulting his minor daughter and her mother on February 16,” VIPD spokesman Toby Derima said. “He discharged a firearm near the adult female victim’s head, causing injury to her right ear.”
The victim was transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center for treatment, Derima said.
Hodge surrendered to police this morning when he learned that he was wanted by police for the domestic violence incident, the police spokesman said.
A source close to the investigation said that Hodge had learned his girlfriend was intimate with his father and had confronted the woman about that allegation when an argument ensued.
Hodge was remanded to the custody of the Bureau of Corrections without bail, in accordance with the territory’s domestic violence statutes pending an advice-of-rights hearing.
This case is currently under active investigation. Detectives are urging anyone with further information to call 911, the Domestic Violence Unit at (340) 774-2211, or Crime Stoppers USVI at (800) 222-8477.
Hodge was accused of driving too fast through a school zone on February 12, 2019 and refusing to stop when police attempted to pull him over, police records indicate. Even after he was finally stopped, police said Hodge refused to exit his vehicle.
The Savan man was famous on Facebook for commenting “goddamit” [sic] on every post he weighed in on, some of posts having to do with sensitive subjects where such a comment was both out of place and ridiculous.
All individuals listed as arrested or charged with a crime in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.