On or about January 11, 2026 at approximately 2:16 A.M., MN State Patrol responded to a call of a stalled gray SUV blocking the right lane eastbound on Interstate 94 near the exit for MN-280 in Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. An officer arrived on scene and located a Hyundai Tucson with MN license plate [PLATE REDACTED] blocking the right lane of traffic. The officer approached the vehicle and saw a man, later identified as DOMINIC LUMAR MCCASTER, [DOB REDACTED] (“DEFENDANT” herein), slumped over in the front passenger seat of the Hyundai.
The Hyundai was not running when the officer approached it. DEFENDANT did not initially respond when the officer approached the Hyundai’s door, but the officer roused DEFENDANT by hitting the window. DEFENDANT was alone in the car, and the officer did not see anyone else in the immediate area. DEFENDANT told the officer that he and his cousin were driving somewhere, dropping off the cousin’s girlfriend, and the Hyundai ran out of gas. DEFENDANT claimed the cousin’s girlfriend had been driving. DEFENDANT said the Hyundai was a rental car.
DEFENDANT claimed that his cousin and cousin’s girlfriend were picked up by a “Good Samaritan” who parked in front of the Hyundai, picked up his cousin and cousin’s girlfriend, and drove away approximately 20 minutes prior to get gas. The officer checked available footage from nearby MNDOT cameras. The videos showed the Hyundai stall at 1:26 A.M. No other vehicles stopped in front of the Hyundai and the officer did not see anyone walking away from the Hyundai in any videos. The officer returned to DEFENDANT to ask additional questions.
DEFENDANT stated his cousin rented the car, and his cousin was actually driving, not his cousin’s girlfriend as initially stated. The officer requested DEFENDANT call his cousin, and DEFENDANT called other people, dialed and hung up, and ultimately never got in contact with his cousin. The officer heard DEFENDANT call a female and refer to the person on the other end of the line as “mom.” The officer noted DEFENDANT’S personal house keys and person Ford key were attached to the same key ring as the key for the rented Hyundai.
DEFENDANT first claimed his cousin told him to put the Hyundai’s key fob on his personal key ring “just a second ago” so DEFENDANT could “turn the heat on,” despite DEFENDANT saying the Hyundai was out of gas. DEFENDANT then said he put the Hyundai’s key fob on his personal key ring earlier when he was watching football at the bar with his cousin. DEFENDANT requested to sit in the officer’s squad car because of the cold. After being placed in the squad car, DEFENDANT requested the officer retrieve his black Polo-brand winter beanie, which was on the driver’s floorboard.
Throughout the conversation, the officer noted several indicia of impairment. DEFENDANT had red, watery, bloodshot eyes. DEFENDANT’S speech was slurred, slow, and low. DEFENDANT seemed tired and kept slumping over. The officer smelled the strong odor of consumed alcoholic beverages coming from DEFENDANT. The officer asked DEFENDANT if he had been drinking, and DEFENDANT said “yeah.” DEFENDANT admitted to drinking “a couple shots of Grey Goose [vodka], couple Budweisers” while watching football earlier in the day.
