Woman charged in Maplewood hit-and-run that killed pedestrian, injured another
Police lights generic. (FOX 9)
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (FOX 9) - A woman is charged with murder and assault for a fatal Maplewood hit-and-run that happened Wednesday night.
What we know
Ashley Renee Couch, 34, of St. Paul, is charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault after a woman died from being dragged by a vehicle.
Couch is accused of killing 23-year-old Zakirrah Laniyah Cheyan Anderson by running her over with a 2012 Dodge Charger.
Another woman was injured after being struck by the Charger. She was treated and later released from the hospital.
READ MORE: Woman arrested after Maplewood hit-and-run leaves pedestrian dead, another injured
Police say they responded to reports of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Larpenteur Avenue East and Dieter Street North in Maplewood around 9:20 p.m. on Aug. 14.
Arriving officers then found Anderson being treated by medics for "catastrophic injuries" after it appeared she had been "dragged under a vehicle for an extended distance." Anderson was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
At the scene of the crash, there was also a Mazda sedan with heavy damage to the driver's side at the scene with a can of bear mace inside.
The criminal complaint states that a witness told police that she, Anderson and the other woman who was hospitalized showed up in the area to fight another group of people at Wakefield Park.
That video showed a 2023 dark blue Dodge Charger turning onto Larpenteur from Prosperity Street before striking the two women, who were standing next to another car. The footage shows the surviving victim "being flown into the air and then falling onto the ground."
The video shows that Anderson was "no longer visible" after she was struck by the Charger, which continued westbound on Larpenteur. Both the witness and the surviving victim are heard in the video asking "where's Zigggy" before the witness is heard yelling "she's on that car still", according to the criminal complaint.
There was also a video of the incident recorded on the witness' phone via SnapChat.
Independent witnesses
Another witness called 911 after hearing a woman yell "someone call the police" near the intersection of Prosperity Street North and Larpenteur Avenue East.
That witness also reported seeing a Charger with damage to the passenger side door being followed by a dark sedan as both were westbound on Larpenteur.
The witness reported seeing only one headlight on one of the vehicles and that it sounded like one had a flat tire.
The criminal complaint states that the "concerned citizen" told police they knew who was driving the Charger and identified Ashley Couch as the owner and suspect driver. The person reportedly added that Couch had hidden the vehicle at a spot away from her address.
Shots fired before incident
The witness said earlier that same day, her group was shot at by the other group of women in St. Paul. That incident reportedly led to the parties agreeing to fight at Wakefield Park at 9 p.m.
St. Paul police confirmed recovering spent pistol casings earlier that day, but no victims or suspects related to that incident.
What the suspect told police
Police found the Charger early the next morning in an alley in St. Paul. The criminal complaint notes that it appeared to be deliberately concealed, with the rear license plate removed and trash cans placed in front of it. Investigators also noted one of the headlights was smashed, the passenger-side wheel well was damaged along with a cracked front bumper and damage all along the passenger side.
After Couch was arrested, she initially claimed to know nothing about the incident, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators then showed her the Snapchat video, after which Couch admitted to being at the intersection to watch a fight, adding that she had her baby in the car.
Couch then claimed that she "tried to pull off" when people began to talk about weapons.
The complaint quotes Couch saying that the video she saw shows "one girl got hit and got up, and then I kept going, that's what it shows in the video" before adding "I don't see me hittin' no other girl."
Couch also said she wasn't going to stop because there was talk about "macing the car" and that she saw someone holding mace, according to the complaint.
Couch denied intentionally hitting anyone. She is listed as being in custody at Ramsey County Jail as of Friday evening.
Suspect criminal history
Couch has previous felony convictions that include drive-by shooting, assault, terroristic threats, and theft. She was on probation for a check forgery at the time of the incident.