Prosecutors: DNA Links Driver to June Hit-and-Run in Saint Paul

Oct 5

*The scene of a crash that left a pedestrian critically injured on the 1300 block of Phalen Blvd. in June.* ***MN CRIME PHOTO***

A Minneapolis man is facing felony charges after investigators say he struck a woman with his car in Saint Paul last summer and left the scene.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County, 26-year-old Arlandis Shamar Walls is charged with two counts of criminal vehicular operation resulting in great bodily harm.

The charges stem from a June 10 crash on Johnson Parkway near Phalen Boulevard.

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Officers patrolling the area around 10:49 p.m. that night saw two vehicles speeding north when they came upon a tan Nissan Sentra with severe front-end damage abandoned at the intersection of Maryland Avenue and Phalen Boulevard.

The driver’s door was open, airbags had deployed and the keys were still in the ignition. A short distance away, police found a woman lying on the ground near the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension building with life-threatening injuries. Authorities said her legs appeared broken and she had severe road rash on her face and back. She was transported to Regions Hospital where she went into cardiac arrest during the trip.

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Witnesses told police their vehicle was rear-ended by the Nissan on Johnson Parkway before the driver crossed into oncoming lanes and sped off. They followed the car to try to capture the license plate number and watched as the Nissan struck the woman, sending her over the roof of the vehicle. The suspect then crashed into a traffic signal pole before fleeing on foot.

PREVIOUSLY: Pedestrian Critically Hurt in Saint Paul Hit-and-Run Crash

Inside the abandoned Nissan, officers recovered a wallet containing Walls’ identification. Surveillance video also captured a tall man in a black hoodie and gray sweatpants exiting the driver’s side of the car and running away. Forensic testing later linked DNA collected from the airbag, steering wheel, gear shifter and keys directly to Walls. Analysts said the probability of the DNA belonging to anyone else was more than one in 100 billion.

Walls is charged with operating a motor vehicle in a grossly negligent manner causing great bodily harm, and with causing great bodily harm while leaving the scene of a collision. Both counts carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

A warrant for Walls’ arrest was issued Oct. 1 and he was not in custody as of publication.

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