Man indicted for damaging Athens grave sites while driving drunk

Jarchariah Antron Hodge

By Joe Johnson

A grand jury has indicted a man for damaging several Athens grave sites last year when driving his car while intoxicated.

Jarchariah Hodge, 50, of East Meadow Drive, was charged with second-degree criminal damage to property, driving under the influence of alcohol, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana, according to the indictment filed Tuesday in Superior Court.

The charges stem from his arrest at East Lawn Cemetery in October 2024 by police officers who went there to investigate a report of someone driving a car over graves and causing damage.

The officers arrived at the cemetery on Winterville Road to find Hodge asleep in the driver’s seat of his Volkswagen Passat.

A police report described the man as being slow in responding to the officers, with his speech slurred, eye bloodshot, and smelling of alcohol.

The officers didn’t have the opportunity to put Hodge through any sobriety testing because he was combative and had to be restrained.

It was found that in addition to driving over graves, the Volkswagen had struck and damaged three grave markers.

A bag of marijuana was found under the front seat.

Following his arrest, a judge set bail at $20,000. and Hodge was released when a property bond was posted by someone whose last name was Graves.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 15th.

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