Inset: Metris Bell (St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The 100 block of East 3rd Street in Duluth, Minn., where Metris Bell allegedly dumped a woman he hit with his car in an alley (Google Maps).
According to reports from local news outlet KQDS, the incident occurred on a Friday morning. Bell was driving through the city when he allegedly struck the woman and proceeded to drag her into his vehicle. This act was witnessed by at least one bystander, who later recounted Bell’s assurance that he intended to transport the victim to a hospital.
The events took a harrowing turn when Bell, instead of seeking medical help, drove to an alleyway behind the 100 block of East 3rd Street. Surveillance footage reportedly captured him navigating through Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood, eventually choosing a secluded spot near the Damiano Center, a local social services facility. However, the crucial moment of the woman’s body being left in the alley was not captured on camera.
As the case unfolds, details from charging documents reveal the timeline and actions that led to this troubling series of events. Duluth Police continue to investigate, piecing together Bell’s movements from the time of the incident to the eventual discovery in the alleyway.
Bell allegedly told the witness he was taking the victim to a local hospital as he carried her from the street to his vehicle. Police say he was caught on surveillance cameras driving down an alleyway near the Damiano Center, a social services center, right before striking the woman, KQDS reports.
Bell was allegedly caught on video driving around parts of Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood before choosing an alley near East 3rd Street. Cops say he was not on camera when the woman was dumped.
Someone found the victim and called police to the scene. She told officers that she remembered being hit by a car but did not know how she ended up in the alley. She vaguely recalled being moved to the alley but could not identify who transported her.
The woman was transported to a hospital and treated for multiple injuries.
Police say they tracked Bell down using the surveillance footage that captured him driving. He was taken into custody and charged with “kidnapping – victim not released in a safe place” and “criminal vehicular operation – substantial bodily harm – driver who causes collision leaves scene,” according to online arrest records.
Bell was being held Thursday without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 9, according to KQDS. He has several arrests on his record, including prior drug charges.
