LITTLE CANADA, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Little Canada man is charged with criminal vehicular homicide after police say he hit and killed a pedestrian — then drove to a McDonald's drive-thru before returning home.
Little Canada fatal hit-and-run
Alex Ray Kisch, 36, faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine after prosecutors say he struck and killed a man with his vehicle in Little Canada early Sept. 20 and left the scene without stopping.
What we know:
According to charges filed in the case, police responded at about 2:25 a.m. on Sept. 20 to the area of Viking Drive and Lillehei Plaza in Little Canada after a caller reported seeing a person lying on the side of the road. Officers arrived to find a man, identified in the complaint as JDH, lying face down on the north side of Viking Drive. Groceries and vehicle parts were scattered across the lanes of traffic. JDH had a blood-like substance pooling from his face, an abrasion on the back of his head with a section of hair missing and drag marks on his knees and belt. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The complaint states police examined the broken vehicle parts, including pieces from a side mirror, and determined they came from a Nissan Rogue SUV. A deputy searched nearby parking lots and, at approximately 4:25 a.m., spotted a Nissan Rogue in the parking garage of the Grand Pre Apartments at 205 County Road B2 E — just around the corner from the scene. The vehicle had fresh damage to the front passenger side and a damaged mirror. Police noted a body clip was missing from the vehicle's frame that matched one recovered at the scene. Officers also observed an oily smear and gray hairs on the passenger-side A-pillar and windshield, additional hairs on the hood and grill and approximately six droplets of blood between the front and rear passenger doors. McDonald's food wrappers were visible inside the vehicle.
The complaint states the vehicle was registered to Kisch, who lived in one of the apartments. Police obtained a search warrant and executed it at approximately 6:42 a.m. Kisch answered the door and was cooperative. Officers noted an odor of alcohol coming from him. He was wearing a wristband from Fulton Brewery and had a stamp on the back of his hand consistent with bar or club entry. Kisch told police he does culinary work at a senior living facility and has two children, ages 3 and 5 months. He also told police that the situation "wasn't good."
The complaint states that after being read his rights, Kisch acknowledged owning a 2023 Nissan Rogue but declined to answer questions about whether the vehicle had any damage. When told he was being arrested in connection with a death, Kisch's eyes widened and he asked, "Homicide? How is that…" Police told him a person had been struck by his vehicle and was deceased. Kisch lowered his head and said, "That's insane."
Police transported Kisch to Regions Hospital, where a blood sample was collected under a search warrant before he was taken to the Ramsey County Jail.
What the cameras captured
The backstory:
The complaint states surveillance video from the Grand Pre Apartments showed Kisch walking to his vehicle in the parking garage at 2:01 a.m. As he drove out, the passenger side mirror was fully intact. When he returned at 2:11 a.m., the mirror was visibly damaged and hanging down alongside the vehicle. Kisch exited, walked around the passenger side for several minutes, then went inside the building.
McDonald's surveillance footage showed JDH walking eastbound through the parking lot and continuing down Viking Drive toward his residence. A short time later, Kisch's Nissan Rogue is seen traveling westbound on Viking Drive and pulling into the McDonald's parking lot — with the passenger side mirror already damaged and hanging down. The Rogue entered the drive-thru, stopped at the order screen and pulled up to the pay window. Surveillance video confirmed the driver was Kisch. He received his food and left.
The night's timeline and phone records
Timeline:
The complaint states a review of Kisch's cell phone, obtained through a search warrant, showed a group chat about going to Fulton Brewery. At 12:52 a.m. Sept. 20, Kisch recorded a 10-second video of a DJ at a bar with patrons dancing. At 1:42 a.m., he paid $29.93 for an Uber ride from Minneapolis back to his residence in Little Canada. At 2:32 a.m. — just minutes after returning to his apartment — Kisch placed an outgoing call to a contact labeled "Home *86" that went unanswered.
What they're saying:
The complaint states later that morning, Kisch placed a call from Ramsey County Jail at 10:09 a.m. to a contact identified as "Ash." During that call, Kisch said, "Basically what happened is, they are saying I hit someone and killed them." The person on the other end responded, "What? Stop it, Alex." Kisch replied, "Yes, I'm not kidding. That's what they're saying so…"
An autopsy conducted at the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office found that JDH suffered broken ribs, spinal fractures in two places, a skull fracture on the left side of his head with two hemorrhages noted on the brain and spinal cord injuries. The medical examiner described the injuries to JDH's head as "catastrophic" and attributed multiple injuries to being struck as a pedestrian by a vehicle.
The Source: This story is based on criminal charges filed in Ramsey County Court.