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St. Paul Dad Arrested, Charged After Abandoning Kids In Crash

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A St. Paul man faces several criminal charges after he allegedly abandoned his seriously injured children after crashing his SUV in St. Paul early Tuesday morning.

Earl Lionell Ward, 45, is charged with four counts of criminal vehicular operation, two counts of endangerment of a child and two counts of violating a domestic abuse no contact order.

According to the criminal complaint, St. Paul Police responded to a report of an accident at 3:22 a.m. at Hazel Street and Mechanic Avenue. When they arrived, they found a van that had crashed into a pavement cut-out on the middle of the street, marked with orange cones, caution tape and signs.

Police discovered two seriously injured children in the front compartment of the van: a 14-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy.

The girl suffered a fractured spine, which caused a loss of sensation below her shoulders. She also suffered a subdural hematoma and a fractured tooth.

The boy suffered a fractured femur, which protruded from his left leg. His femoral artery was also severed and required surgery.

The mother of the children was at the scene, and told police she went to a drive-in movie theater earlier in the evening with Ward, their two young children, her older son and his girlfriend. She said Ward was drinking alcohol during the movie and that he may have smoked crack cocaine outside of the van during to movie.

She said she drove everyone home, but when they arrived at the home of her son's girlfriend, she exited the vehicle along with her son and the girlfriend. Ward told her to get back in the van to drive the rest of them home, but she refused.

Ward then slid over and drove off in the van, and crashed into the pavement cut-out about a block later. After hearing the crash, she ran toward the van and heard her two young children screaming for her. She ran to call 911, but when she returned, Ward was gone.

Police received a tip early Tuesday evening that Ward was at his sister's residence in St. Paul. When police responded, they found Ward asleep in a parked car in a parking lot. His breath had a strong smell of alcohol, and his lip was swollen and bloody. He refused an interview with officers after his arrest for violation of a no contact order and a felony warrant for domestic assault.

Ward's girlfriend claims he had knocked out one of her front teeth a week earlier and strangled her a month ago. She said she didn't report the incidences because she was ashamed.

Ward has 11 felony convictions on his record, including two domestic violence-related convictions in the past decade. He also has two domestic abuse no contact orders filed against him.

Ward's first court appearance is set for Thursday afternoon. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 40 years in prison.

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