A domestic dispute inside a Moneta home escalated into a standoff with law enforcement early Saturday, ending with a 26-year-old man in custody and facing three felony counts of attempted murder on law enforcement. Caleb Lane Hodges allegedly assaulted family members before barricading himself inside and firing toward deputies who responded to the scene.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office was notified of an “unknown situation” at a residence on Oldfield Road in Moneta around 5:10 a.m. on Oct. 31, according to WSLS. When deputies arrived, they found that a man had allegedly assaulted family members inside the home and then barricaded himself inside, the station reported, citing the sheriff's office.
Authorities said the suspect then discharged a firearm multiple times in the direction of law enforcement officers, according to the same report. It took about 30 minutes of attempts to resolve the standoff before Hodges was taken into custody safely, the sheriff's office said, per the station's account.
Multiple Felony Charges Filed
Hodges, of Moneta, was confirmed by WDBJ7 to have been taken into custody without incident following the standoff. He now faces three felony counts of aggravated attempted murder on law enforcement, one felony count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one felony count of maliciously shooting in an occupied building, per the same account.
Hodges also faces a slate of misdemeanor charges: reckless handling of a firearm, assault and battery, obstruction of justice, and assault and battery against a family or household member, the report notes. He is being held without bond pending further court proceedings, according to the article.
What Virginia Law Says About the Charges
Under Virginia law, maliciously discharging a firearm at or within an occupied building when lives may be endangered is a Class 4 felony, according to the Virginia Legislative Information System. Separately, state statute makes it unlawful to use or display a firearm in a threatening manner while committing or attempting certain felonies, including malicious wounding, according to a related section of the Virginia Legislative Information System.
