Village mayor, man arrested last week

VW independent staff

VENEDOCIA — Very little information has been released about the weekend arrest of Venedocia mayor Vernon Hobbs and another man.

According to a report from the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of an assault at a home in the village at 11:44 p.m. Friday, January 13. Hobbs, 61, was arrested on one count of assault, a first degree misdemeanor, and one count of unlawful restraint, a third degree misdemeanor. He was taken to the Van Wert County Correctional Facility. The report also states that David Burden, 48, of Venedocia, was issued a summons for disorderly conduct.

“We have no further details to release at this time,” said Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office Communications Director Rod Smith.

Both men appeared for arraignment hearings in Van Wert Municipal Court on Tuesday and both were released on their own recognizance after pleading not guilty to their respective charges. A pretrial for Hobbs is scheduled for February 7, while Burden is scheduled for a trial the same day.