DULUTH — A Hibbing, Minn., man was charged Friday in St. Louis County District Court with second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend. Both had made 911 calls in the days before she was found unresponsive in an apartment.
According to the complaint:
Eric James Jarvis, 46, told dispatchers that his girlfriend was unconscious and wouldn't wake up in his final call for emergency assistance early Tuesday morning. Hibbing police officers found Kari Jo Petrich, 43, lying on the living room floor with severe bruising on her face, blood stains and glass shards in the carpeting.
Both Jarvis and Petrich first called 911 early Sunday morning. He asked for a cavalry and an ambulance; she called to report she didn't need an ambulance. Officers visited the scene and found both intoxicated — but no criminal activity. Jarvis called again later that night, asking for Petrich to be taken to detox. When officers got to the scene, Petrich said Jarvis had hit her in the head and that she was bleeding. They reportedly did not see any injuries and left.
Petrich was pronounced dead during a return visit early Tuesday morning. Jarvis, who called 911 about his unresponsive girlfriend, had seemingly tried to clean up blood. He told police officers "we probably fought dude. Like we honestly probably fought."
He was arrested at the scene.
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