A Leesburg man was arrested after allegedly attacking his two teenage cousins during a confrontation.
Officers responded to a 911 hang-up call from an undisclosed Leesburg residence around 8:55 a.m. Friday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. Upon arrival, they saw 35-year-old Michael Anthony Hodge arguing with a group of family members. He was waving a stick at another man who pushed him.
After separating the family, the officers interviewed two of Hodge’s 15-year-old female cousins. The first explained that Hodge had come into her bedroom wearing only his underwear and asked her to help find his shoes. She did not want to help and asked him to leave, to which he became angry, the report said.
Hodge refused to leave until she helped him, so she went directly to her sister, Hodge’s other cousin, out of fear. The other cousin went outside to confront Hodge for scaring her sister, after which she tried to go back inside. However, he grabbed her, “slammed” her into the ground and started “hitting” her before she could, the report said.
The first cousin heard her sister screaming and went outside to see Hodges standing on top of her. She pushed him off, only for him to shove her to the ground and begin “hitting” her, too. Hodge’s cousins were ultimately able to break away and contact other family members to come help them, the report said.
The first cousin had sand on her arms and felt bruising on her right arm from being pushed to the ground. Her sister had sand on her face and clothing, consistent with the battery. Their mother arrived on scene and confirmed prosecution on behalf of her daughters, the report said.
The cousins added that Hodge did not regularly live with them as family because he had just been released from jail on April 1, the report said. He had been arrested in March for allegedly grabbing a woman by the shirt when told he could not come inside her home.
As for Hodge, he was still in his underwear but had sand on his arms and legs. He became uncooperative once he was handcuffed, the report said.
Hodge was arrested on two counts of battery (one prior conviction). He was booked at the Lake County Jail with bond set at $20,000.