Girlfriend charged after allegedly running over, killing man

A St. Paul man was allegedly run down by his girlfriend Wednesday as he was on the phone with 911 calling for help.

In the recording, Mark L. Urang, 50, is heard describing the suspect as Arlene P. Garcia and her car as a white Mercury Sable. Then an argument, a scuffle and the sound of Urang apparently being run over ends the call, according to court documents.

Garcia, 53, was charged with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide Friday in Ramsey County District Court.

Urang was struck about 10:45 p.m. Wednesday in the 600 block of Wells Street near Payne Avenue. He suffered a skull fracture and massive hemorrhaging. He died about 8 p.m. Thursday.

According to the complaint: A bartender at Louie's Bar told police that Urang and Garcia were drinking and arguing in the bar. It's unclear what the couple had been arguing about. Witnesses described Garcia as acting "crazy" and "extremely intoxicated." They were at the bar for about two hours.

Garcia was yelling at Urang, and the bartender asked her to leave, the charges said. She and her female friend left, but Urang followed them and said he needed a ride.

In Urang's 911 call, he provides Garcia's license plate number and is also heard saying that he's going to stand in front of the car.

Police went to the couple's St. Paul home early Thursday, where Garcia appeared to be extremely intoxicated. Officers had to hold her up while she put on boots, the complaint said.

She told police that she drove the car to the bar and that Urang was "running his mouth as usual." She denied hitting him with her car.

Police examined the underside of the vehicle and found what appeared to be torn clothing in front of the right rear tire, the complaint said.

Garcia's friend told police that she was a passenger in the car when Urang jumped in front of it. Garcia drove over him and didn't stop until she got to Rice Street, the charges said.

Police records show that the couple had "several incidents" at their home in St. Paul, and court records show that both Urang and Garcia had troubled pasts. Garcia was convicted in 2005 of having an open beer can next to her as she sat in the driver's seat of a car, and she was convicted in 2005 of stealing 11 checks from the Franciscan Friars house at Sacred Heart Church while she was a housekeeper there. Urang has several drunken-driving offenses.