Coventry man charged with raping, kidnapping, abusing woman

Mar. 5—A Coventry man is free on $526,000 bond while facing charges that he raped and kidnapped a woman during a night of physical abuse that included punching her in the head at least twice and repeatedly choking her to the point that she couldn't breathe for five-second periods.

Joseph W. Lodge, 37, of 285 Brewster St., is facing felony charges of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual assault, and second-degree strangulation, Vernon Superior Court records show.

Lodge also is facing misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful restraint, interfering with an emergency call, and disorderly conduct.

All the charges stem from events that occurred Sept. 12, and Lodge was arrested at 8 a.m. that day, the records show.

ABUSE CASE

DEFENDANT: Joseph W. Lodge, 37, of 285 Brewster St., Coventry

FELONY CHARGES: First-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual assault, second-degree strangulation, illegal transfer of a handgun.

STATUS: Free on $526,000 bond

Later that morning, the woman told police that she feared that Lodge would kill her if he was released because he had a gun, Coventry police Officer Wayne Greener wrote in an affidavit. She turned over a .45-caliber pistol with an attached magazine containing seven live rounds of ammunition, the officer added.

The gun was listed as stolen, and Lodge had no state license to buy or carry a gun, the officer reported. As a result, Lodge faces a felony charge of illegal transfer of a handgun and a misdemeanor charge of fifth-degree larceny.

The woman also gave police a bag containing marijuana and related items, resulting in misdemeanor marijuana-possession and paraphernalia-use charges filed against him almost two months later.

Police learned of the abuse allegations from Tolland County Mutual Aid, which received a 911 text message at 7:34 a.m.Sept. 12. The woman met officers at the road, appearing physically distraught, her legs shaking, as she yelled that Lodge had tried to kill her and had beaten her the night before, Greener wrote in a report.

In response to an officer's call, Lodge came out of the house, but he was uncooperative at first and had to be threatened with a Taser stun gun before submitting to handcuffing, the officer reported.

When asked what happened, Lodge said the woman ran up the driveway, he picked her up to bring her back to the house, and they both fell, causing injuries to both, according to the officer.

The woman gave the following account of events, according to another officer's report:

She said she was reading a book around 11 p.m. when Lodge came in, took her cellphone and threw it across the room, breaking it, then slapped the book out of her hand and the glasses off her face. She said he punched her in the nose without provocation, then punched her in the ear.

She said Lodge eventually told her to leave the house, but, when she started to leave for a neighbor's house to call police, he ran outside, grabbed her, and threw her over his shoulder. As he walked back to the house, she said, he tripped and fell, causing her to hit her head on the concrete.

Back in the house, she said, he alternately used his forearm and hand to choke her five times, leaving her unable to breathe for five-second periods each time. She said he subsequently raped her before she found her phone and texted 911.

The officer reported photographing bruises and red marks on the woman's forehead, arms, neck, chest, and lower back.

After Lodge was arrested, he called a lawyer, who directed police not to question him, Greener reported. An attempt by the Journal Inquirer to reach lawyer T.R. Paulding Jr., who now represents Lodge, was unsuccessful.

For updates on Glastonbury, and recent crime and courts coverage in North-Central Connecticut, follow Alex Wood on Twitter: @AlexWoodJI1, Facebook: Alex Wood, and Instagram: @AlexWoodJI.

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