Man kidnapped woman, shot at officers & set home fire, killing dog: Myrtle Beach police

Myrtle Beach police have identified a man who barricaded himself inside a Myrtle Beach home Tuesday and fired gunshots at police officers during a seven-hour standoff.

Officers were called about 6:30 a.m. to the area of Longleaf Circle for a report of kidnapping and attempted murder.

Police identified the man as 45-year old William Berry Hodges, of Roanoke, Virginia.

A reported victim told police that Hodges hit her in the head with a hammer Sunday and threatened to kill her before tying her to a bed. She escaped Tuesday morning and sought help at a Myrtle Beach Fire station to report the kidnapping, according to police.

Hodges surrendered Tuesday afternoon after the home caught fire and was taken to the hospital for injuries before being booked at the J. Rueben Long Detention Center that evening.

Police say Hodges set fire to a mattress inside the home before leaving, and Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue crews later found his dog dead inside. Officials had initially believed Hodges let the dog outside, according to police.

Hodges is now facing 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of kidnapping, one count of second-degree arson, one count of cruelty to animals and two weapons possession charges. Additional charges are likely, police said.

Multiple other agencies responded to assist with the standoff, including the Horry County Police Department, S.C. State Law Enforcement Division and the FBI.

Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were seen Wednesday at the scene of the Myrtle Beach. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This latest incident isn’t the first reported conflict involving Hodges and law enforcement.

Hodges had a three-hour standoff in 2014 with police in Roanoke, Virginia, and he was later sentenced to 10 years in prison in after pleading guilty to two charges of abduction, child neglect, strangulation and firearm possession, according to The Roanoke Times.

Hodges was also sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder for shooting at a Roanoke County deputy during a robbery in 1999, according to online court records.