St. Paul Police Asking For Help In 'Bizarre' Weekend Case

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- St. Paul Police are investigating what they call a "bizarre" case.

Early Sunday morning, 32-year-old Darvez Thomas was found severely injured near the intersection of Larpenteur Avenue and Jackson Street. He was rushed to Regions Hospital and remains in critical condition as of Thursday night.

For police the question remains as to who, or what, caused his injuries. Police say Thomas was in-between addresses and may have been staying with a friend in the area when he was hurt.

They say it's also unclear how long Thomas had been laying near the street before the passer-by saw him.
As they continue to search for leads, one neighbor says, sadly, she's not surprised someone was hurt on her street. He said the intersection sees two to four accidents a month.

When she woke up Sunday morning, Melissa Popp saw a full-fledged investigation already under way. She soon found out that the 32-year-old man had been seriously hurt in front of her home and his injuries were life-threatening.

"We've been very concerned," she said. "We chatted with the officers that morning hoping that someone had heard something and we could get to the bottom of it. But we wish the best for him and his family."

Thomas suffered serious head injuries.

"We have to determine whether or not this was an assault?" said Sgt. Paul Paulos of St. Paul Police. "Was he driven in a car and dropped off? Was he run over? Was he hit? What really happened that day and that's why we are asking the public for their help."

Anyone with information is urged to contact St. Paul police at: 651-266-5721.