DWIs, assaults charged in Hennepin County District Court

(EPLN reports on charges filed in Hennepin County District Court against defendants in felony, gross misdemeanor, or misdemeanor cases involving Eden Prairie Police Department officers. Because EPLN does not have the resources to follow all of these cases through the legal process, names are not used other than in exceptional situations involving public figures or especially noteworthy cases. In all other cases, age, gender and cities of residence are published.)

DWI

A 29-year-old Isle, Minn., woman is charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of second-degree operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and a third count of careless driving stemming from a Jan. 8 incident in Eden Prairie.

According to the criminal complaint:

At approximately 9:17 p.m., an Eden Prairie officer observed two vehicles stopped in the middle of an off-ramp at Highway 212 and Prairie Center Drive. The defendant told the officer that she was coming from Asia Mall and had been stuck on the off-ramp for quite some time. The officer observed the defendant to have slurred speech and difficulty following simple instructions.

Based on the officer’s observations, she had the defendant get out of her car to perform sobriety tests. The officer observed several clues indicating the defendant was impaired. She took a preliminary breath test (PBT) which showed her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .198.

The defendant was arrested and transported to the police department, where she was asked to provide an evidentiary breath sample. At 10:15 p.m., the breath sample showed the defendant’s BAC was .20.

The defendant was held in lieu of $12,000 bail. If convicted of the two gross misdemeanor counts, she faces a maximum of one year and/or a fine of up to $3,000 for each count. Careless driving carried a maximum sentence of 90 days imprisonment and up to a maximum $1,000 fine.

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A 25-year-old Forth Worth, Texas, man is charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of third-degree DWI, one count of misdemeanor careless driving, and one petty misdemeanor count of speeding as the result of a Jan. 8 incident on eastbound I-494.

According to the criminal complaint:

At approximately 11:46 p.m., an Eden Prairie officer observed an Audi entering the ramp from Prairie Center Drive to eastbound I-494 at a high rate of speed. The officer followed the vehicle as it continued onto southbound Highway 169, where the vehicle weaved in and out of traffic, accelerating to 101 miles per hour.

The officer stopped the vehicle and detected an odor of alcohol coming from the defendant. The defendant admitted to drinking earlier in the evening and performed poorly on standard field sobriety testing. A preliminary breath test indicated a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .201.

The defendant was arrested and transported to the Eden Prairie Police Department, where the defendant provided another breath sample that reported his BAC as .16.

The defendant was held in lieu of $12,000 bail. If convicted of the two gross misdemeanor counts, he faces a maximum of one year and/or a fine of up to $3,000 for each count. Careless driving carried a maximum sentence of 90 days imprisonment and up to a maximum $1,000 fine. The maximum fine for the speeding count is $300.

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A 27-year-old Minnetonka woman is charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of third-degree DWI and one misdemeanor count of careless driving due to an incident on Jan. 14 in Eden Prairie.

According to the criminal complaint:

At 11:51 p.m., while patrolling near Prairie Center Drive and Valley View Road, an Eden Prairie officer saw a vehicle that had stopped beyond the painted crosswalk lines at a red light. The officer followed the vehicle and witnessed the driver crossing over a solid white lane divider before stopping the vehicle.

The defendant told the officer she had been at Fat Pants Brewery, where she had one drink. The officer could smell the odor of alcohol coming from the defendant and noted that her eyes were glassy.

The defendant agreed to perform sobriety testing, and the officer observed several clues indicating that she was impaired. A PBT sample showed her BAC as .121. The defendant was arrested and transported to the police department, where another breath sample showed a BAC of .16.

The defendant has been summoned to appear in court. If convicted of the two gross misdemeanor counts, she faces a maximum of one year and/or a fine of up to $3,000 for each count. Careless driving carried a maximum sentence of 90 days imprisonment and up to a maximum $1,000 fine.

Assault

A 20-year-old Eden Prairie man is charged with one count of felony third-degree assault causing substantial bodily harm following a Jan. 18 incident on Chestnut Drive.

According to the criminal complaint:

Eden Prairie officers were assigned to assist a victim of domestic abuse while she moved out of her abuser’s residence. Upon arrival, the officers spoke with the victim and observed severe bruising on the right side of her face. The victim identified her boyfriend, with whom she lived, as the person who caused the injuries.

The victim told officers that on Jan. 14, she and the defendant were in their apartment, and the defendant, who was consuming alcohol, became upset and punched her in the face at least three times with a closed fist. After speaking with the officers, she went to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured nose.

Officers located and arrested the defendant. Although he initially declined to speak with them, he later admitted during transport, “I understand that I’m in the wrong with the whole assault thing.”

The defendant was held on $60,000 bail. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $10,000.