A 22-year-old Coon Rapids man has been charged with two counts of driving while impaired after police discovered him passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle inside a residential garage early Wednesday morning.
Early-Morning Welfare Check Turns Into DWI Arrest
According to the criminal complaint filed October 15, 2025, Jacob Michael Rau was charged with third-degree driving while impaired — both for operating under the influence of alcohol and for having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher within two hours of driving.
At approximately 1:07 a.m., Coon Rapids police were dispatched to 1740 121st Avenue NW, garage #6, after a concerned neighbor reported that a man appeared to be unconscious inside a running Honda Civic.
The neighbor told dispatch she could see her neighbor — later identified as Rau — slumped over in the driver’s seat. Her boyfriend reportedly opened the garage door before calling police to ensure there wasn’t a buildup of carbon monoxide.
When officers arrived, they found Rau still in the driver’s seat, head tilted forward and unresponsive, with the car running and a 1.75-liter bottle of Smirnoff vodka visible on the passenger seat. Officers knocked on the window several times before he awoke.
High Alcohol Concentration Recorded
After rousing Rau, officers reported glassy red eyes, a strong odor of alcohol, and slow, slurred responses. Rau admitted to drinking before officers conducted standard field sobriety tests.
During the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, officers observed clear signs of intoxication. For safety reasons, they did not continue with additional tests due to Rau’s condition.
A preliminary breath test registered a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.190, more than twice Minnesota’s legal limit of 0.08.
Rau was arrested and transported to the Coon Rapids Police Department, where he was read the Minnesota Breath Test Advisory and given the opportunity to consult with an attorney. At 2:04 a.m., he provided a formal breath sample showing a BAC of 0.18.
No Prior DWI Convictions
A criminal history check confirmed that Rau has no prior DWI convictions.
He was booked into the Anoka County Jail, and Judge Karin McCarthy signed an order for detention, finding probable cause for both counts. Each gross misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.
Community Concerns Over Impaired Driving
The case adds to a growing list of DWI arrests in Anoka County that originate from welfare or suspicious-vehicle calls, rather than traditional traffic stops. Police have emphasized that these types of reports—often from alert neighbors—play a critical role in preventing potential tragedies.
Rau is expected to make his first court appearance in Anoka County District Court in the coming weeks.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This report is based solely on verified information contained in an Anoka County criminal complaint filed October 15, 2025.
