A woman was dragged by her own SUV and punched in the face outside a Saint Paul home, then walked to Regions Hospital for help, according to a criminal complaint.
Alaxis Danielle McGrath, who was 27 at the time of the alleged offense, is charged in Ramsey County District Court with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, taking or driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent and fifth-degree assault. The complaint was filed October 26.
According to the complaint, Saint Paul police were sent to Regions Hospital at about 2:03 a.m. on July 19 after a security guard found a woman sitting on a parking ramp, bleeding and wearing only a tank top and underwear. Her face was swollen and cut in several places.
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The woman told police she was leaving McGrath’s home late on July 18 after an argument when McGrath got into the driver’s seat of her SUV and started to drive away, dragging her and causing road rash and cuts, the complaint says. She said that when she stood up and tried to walk away, McGrath came back and punched her in the face three to five times. Medical records showed facial bruising and scrapes on her knee and legs.
In a phone interview a week later, the woman said McGrath and another person walked up to her as she headed to the hospital and told her she would have to find her car. Police found the SUV empty near the home.
Police spoke with the other person on Aug. 6. He told them the woman was drunk, was beating McGrath and dragging her by the hair and swung a liquor bottle at him before driving off, the complaint says. He denied that he or McGrath drove her SUV. McGrath told police on Aug. 7 that the woman threw items out of the SUV, grabbed her by the hair, dragged her across a parking lot and punched her. She also denied driving it.
