A Duluth man is facing two felony charges after police say he struck a woman with his car in broad daylight, dragged her into the vehicle, and later left her injured in an alley. Court documents identify the suspect as 31-year-old Metris Javon Bell.
According to the charging documents, the incident happened just before 11 a.m. on November 7 behind the Damiano Center. Surveillance footage captured a car traveling down an alley near the center and appearing to hit a woman. Investigators said the video shows Bell getting out of the car and dragging the woman inside.
A witness told police that Bell claimed, “I’m taking her to the emergency room.” Cameras around Duluth later picked up the same vehicle driving through parts of the Central Hillside neighborhood. Police noted that the car was not visible on camera the entire time, leading investigators to believe Bell left the woman in an alley during one of those gaps in surveillance.
Officers eventually found the victim behind the 100 block of East 3rd Street. According to the probable cause statement, she told police she believed she had been hit by a car but did not know how she ended up in the alley. She said someone dropped her off, but she had no memory of who it was. The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment, though the extent of her injuries was not detailed in the report.
Police connected Bell to the vehicle through surveillance footage from the area, which they had already reviewed during a separate investigation. Additional cameras helped track the car’s movements before and after the collision. Bell appeared in court for the first time on November 12, 2025. His next hearing is set for December 9, 2025.
He is charged with two felonies: “Kidnapping – Victim not released in a safe place” and “Criminal Vehicular Operation – Substantial Bodily Harm – Driver Who Causes Collision Leaves Scene.” The investigation remains ongoing as police continue to review surveillance footage and gather witness statements.