SLP Man Arrested Again for Drunken Driving

A St. Louis Park man with a handful of alcohol-related convictions on his record has been charged again with drunken driving.

John Anthony Byrnes Jr., 27, was arrested May 29 and charged with felony first-degree DWI, which carries a penalty of three to seven years in prison and a $4,200 to $14,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, signed by Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Dan Beasley, troopers were called to the area of Interstate 394 and Highway 169 just after 11 p.m. May 29 on a report of a stalled car.

Troopers found the car on a ramp to Highway 169 and two people standing beside it. Officers asked what had happened; Byrnes replied, “I ran out of gas,” according to the complaint.

Troopers smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from Byrnes and noticed that he had watery, bloodshot eyes and an “unsteady gait,” the complaint says. Byrnes told them he had been drinking five hours ago, but wouldn’t reply when they asked if he had been driving the car, according to the complaint.

Officers also spoke to the other person, who said Byrnes had been driving and that it was Byrnes' car.

Byrnes was given a preliminary blood test and registered a .172 percent blood-alcohol content, more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

Byrnes’ criminal history includes three convictions for underage drinking, three DWI convictions in 2004, 2008 and 2010, and three convictions for driving with a revoked driver’s license.

Byrnes is free on a $60,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled for July 11 in Hennepin County District Court.