Watertown man charged with vehicular homicide

A Watertown man is facing a charge of criminal vehicular homicide — operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner after allegedly running over and killing his girlfriend on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The incident was reported at 6:44 p.m.
According to the Carver County Sheriff’s Office, the call originally had come in as an unresponsive female in the roadway. It was determined that Jessica Suzanne Ludenia, 33, of Watertown, had been struck by a motor vehicle driven by her boyfriend, Casey Belden Hoskins, 42, also of Watertown.
According to the criminal complaint against Hoskins, he appeared intoxicated and had a beer bottle in his back pocket and another beer bottle was found in the driver’s side door of his vehicle.
According to the complaint, the couple and two children — Hoskins’ son and Ludenia’s daughter — had returned from a movie, and had allegedly been arguing.
Ludenia’s daughter said, according to the complaint, that Hoskins was attempting to leave in his pickup, and her mother jumped into the bed of the pickup to try to stop him. Hoskins continued driving and allegedly hit the brakes three times in an attempt to dislodge her. Evidence on the vehicle and on the victim indicate she was run over, and she was pronounced dead later of blunt-force trauma at the Ridgeview Medical Center.
Hoskins offered a differing story, according to the complaint. He alleges that Ludenia jumped into the passenger seat of his truck and, while it was in motion, opened the door and jumped out.
Hoskins appeared in court Monday. Bail was set at $1 million bond or $100,000 cash with no conditions, or $250,000 bond or $25,000 in cash with several conditions. He is set to appear in court again today (Wednesday).