MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The Maplewood man charged in the hit-and-run death of a deaf man in St. Paul was seen on video drinking eight alcoholic drinks before the incident, according to a criminal complaint.
Fifty-seven-year-old Robert Kinney faces a felony charge of criminal vehicular homicide in the death of 68-year-old John Benjamin.
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According to the criminal complaint, officers were called to McKnight Road North and Margaret Street Jan. 22. There, they found a man facedown in the snowbank, unresponsive. Medics arrived and turned the man over, finding his face mask blood-soaked. The man, later identified as Benjamin, was declared dead at the scene.
Officers found vehicle debris in the roadway, and a neighbor said she heard loud noises outside of her home.
An anonymous tipster told police the driver who hit Benjamin was a regular at a nearby tavern named Bob. Checking the bar’s receipts from the night of the hit and run, investigators found Kinney’s name. A bartender confirmed “Bob” and Kinney were the same person.
The bar’s surveillance video showed Kinney drinking “8 double Tito’s” over three hours on the night Benjamin was killed. Police later found a receipt from the bar in Kinney’s residence, dated the night of the incident.
Officers found Kinney in the garage of his home Tuesday, noting a large dent in his vehicle. They arrested him and towed his car.
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In an interview, police asked Kinney if he knew anything about the hit-and-run.
“I know there’s damage on my car, but what was the result of the damage?” Kinney said, according to the complaint. He also said he mostly stayed home on Jan. 22, but when asked if he stopped anywhere before going home, he asked for a lawyer and the interview ended.
The vehicle debris found at the scene matched Kinney’s car.
Kinney has two misdemeanor DWI arrests on his record. He is in custody and could serve up to 10 years if convicted.
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Source: CBS Minnesota