On or about November 1, 2025, at approximately 2:57 PM, Officer Saldana of the Woodbury Department of Public Safety was dispatched to respond to a report of a water emergency involving a partially submerged vehicle at [ADDRESS REDACTED], in the City of Woodbury, Washington County, Minnesota. Upon arrival, the officer was advised by a witness that a male, later fully identified to be VUYO ALEXANDER NCETEZO RYE, [DOB REDACTED], Defendant herein, had driven the vehicle and was he was located at a house nearby.
Routine record checks also confirmed Defendant is the registered owner of the submerged vehicle. The reporting party advised he was inside his house when Defendant knocked on his door asking for help. The reporting party called 911 on behalf of Defendant. The officer made contact with Defendant and immediately observed Defendant to have bloodshot and watery eyes as well as slurred speech. The officer also smelled an odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from Defendant's person. Defendant was wearing only a t-shirt, underwear, and socks, all of which appeared to be soaked in water.
When asked what happened, Defendant initially claimed his friend was driving the vehicle and that Defendant was in the passenger seat. Defendant stated his friend had said he would kill him and drove the vehicle towards the boat ramp and into the lake. Defendant did not know how his friend had exited the vehicle after it was submerged. Defendant then stated after exiting the vehicle, his friend both ran after him and also stated that his friend ran in the opposite direction. When asked if he had consumed any alcohol, Defendant stated he drank the night prior, but not today.
Defendant later admitted that he had drank that day starting at about 8 am, when the liquor store opened, until approximately 2 pm. When asked how officers could contact Defendant's friend, Defendant stated his contact info was in his phone, which was in his car in the lake. Defendant was asked if there was correspondence between Defendant and his friend stating Defendant would be picked up, which he said there was not. Defendant later contradicted his early statements stating he had been texting his friend that morning.
Officers on- scene confirmed there was only one set of footprints leaving the vehicle and only one single, blue, croc- style shoe was recovered from the water, which Defendant confirmed belonged to him. Prior to leaving the scene, a witness approached officers and confirmed he only saw one person leaving the vehicle and that it was Defendant. Officers administered standardized field sobriety tests to Defendant, during which several clues of impairment were observed. Defendant provided a breath sample for a preliminary breath test, the result of which indicated he had a 0.128 BAC. Defendant was placed under arrest and transported to Woodwinds Hospital to be medically cleared.
