HUDDLESTON, Va. – We now know the next step in Dustin Holdren’s court proceedings.
Holdren is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on August 31 at 1:30 p.m. and attorney Matthew Pack is representing him.
These two decisions were made during Holdren’s initial appearance before a judge on Monday.
UPDATE:
A man has been arrested after a realtor was assaulted near Smith Mountain Lake State Park.
The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office obtained warrants on and arrested 34-year-old Dustin R. Holdren of Roanoke, Virginia on Sunday. He’s being charged for aggravated malicious wounding.
Keller Williams Realty of Forest identified the victim as their realtor, Lenora Farrington. The head of the firm, Teresa Grant, told 10 News Farrington suffered several skull fractures in the assault and is expected to stay hospitalized for a few weeks.
Grant set up a GoFundMe for Farrington’s medical bills on Sunday. It raised more than $55,000 in one day.
The Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors sent out a safety alert on Facebook following the incident. The organization’s president, Walter Grewe, said the incident is a reminder of how risky their profession can be.
“The thing with the real estate industry is it just is inherently a meeting of strangers,” Grewe said. “We host open houses, and I host open houses myself, and sometimes you just can’t control who comes through the door.”
Grewe recommends realtors never show houses alone in the wake of this assault. Grant said Keller Williams will take that step, as well as asking some open house visitors for their drivers license in order to pre-screen them.
The sheriff’s office says Holdren is being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail under no bond.
The incident is still under investigation and more charges may be pending.
According to the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, a realtor called police stating they had been assaulted while showing an open house at Mariners Landing Subdivision in Huddleston near Smith Mountain Lake.
Deputies say the call came in around 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The realtor was taken to the hospital.
No other information has been given at this time. Check back for more details as we learn more.