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MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - It's difficult to wrap your mind around what exactly drives a person to nearly kill someone, let alone a person they've called a best friend for years, but that's exactly what police say happened in the case of a 21-year-old from Minneapolis.
Since they were 14 years old, Lashonda Ethridge and Leslie Evanovich lived like sisters. Into their twenties, the two would fall out, but always seemed to try to rebuild what was lost. That is, until April 9, when Evanovich allegedly put Lashonda in a coma when she assaulted her with two other females after a birthday party they attended together in Brooklyn Park.
According to a criminal complaint, after a street fight, the group of females got in an SUV and left, but a little later, came back and saw Lashonda standing in the street. That's when Evanovich, the driver, admitted to police she swerved, struck Ethridge and fled the scene in anger. Two other passengers told police they informed Evanvich she had struck Ethridge, but said, 'Bro, I don't give a f---" before driving off.
Ethridge remains at North Memorial hospital with a fractured skull and nasal bones, along with bleeding in and on her brain. Doctors don’t know how long Lashonda will be hospitalized, but she’s not there to care for her 2-year-old son Romeo who was almost orphaned by the assault. His father, Trevon Tucker, died in a car accident in 2014. Doctors say Ethridge may even suffer lasting brain damage.
Evanovich faces first- and second-degree assault charges and four counts of criminal vehicular operation. While initially denying her involvement, she failed field sobriety tests then later admitted to committing the assault and hit and run "out of anger." A GoFundMe has been set up to help Ethridge with bills and relocation: https://www.gofundme.com/nrz8mxy4