Watertown man charged for allegedly running over girlfriend with truck

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A 42-year-old Watertown man is now charged with criminal vehicular homicide after allegedly running his girlfriend over with his truck in Watertown.

Jessica Suzanne Ludenia, 33, died after the incident Tuesday night. At a bail hearing Friday, a judge set Casey Belden Hoskins’ bail at $1 million bond with no conditions or $250,000 bond with conditions.

According to the criminal complaint, around 6:44 p.m. Tuesday, Carver County Sheriff’s deputies and Watertown Fire officials responded to a report of a woman unconscious on the side of the road in the 800 block of Deerfield Road. 

When a Watertown Fire Captain arrived, Ludenia was lying facedown in the grass. Hoskins was standing nearby, seemingly drunk with an open beer bottle in the back pocket of his pants. Authorities later found another open beer bottle inside the driver’s side door of the vehicle. Investigators took a blood sample for analysis.

Ludenia’s eight-year-old daughter told police they had gone to a movie earlier that day. On the way there, Hoskins and Ludenia had argued. When they returned home after the movie, the girl and her mother started to go inside the house. Then, Hoskins started up the truck again and started driving away with his three-year-old son in the back seat. Ludenia ran after them and jumped into the bed of the truck as it drove off down the street. 

The girl heard the truck accelerate and brake three times, telling investigators it sounded like Hoskins was trying to get Ludenia to “go off the truck.” When the girl ran to see what happened, she found Hoskins moving her mother onto the grass.

A neighbor who came to help told police Hoskins seemed more concerned about moving his truck back to his house rather than calling 911 to help Ludenia.

Ludenia was pronounced dead at Ridgeview Medical Center where medical staff determined she died of blunt force injuries to the torso. She also had “marks consistent with tire tracks” on her back and pants.

Hoskins told police he and Ludenia had an argument because she didn’t want him to leave. He claimed when he started to go she got into the front passenger seat and then jumped out of the truck while he was driving.

Investigators found four blonde hairs on one of the back wheels of Hoskins’ truck. They also sent tissue found inside a wheel well to the lab for analysis.

Hoskins will have his first appearance in Carver County District Court on November 22.