Charges: Man with DWI history kills passenger in northwestern Minnesota motorcycle crash

The injured woman spent her 24th birthday in the hospital and later died.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 20, 2025 at 4:02PM

A man with a history of drunken driving was intoxicated again when he crashed his motorcycle in northwestern Minnesota and killed his passenger, according to charges.

Jacob Jerome Riggle, 26, of Waubun, Minn., was charged in Becker County District Court this week with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide in connection with the crash on May 26 about 18 miles east of Detroit Lakes.

Asia Monique Bevins, of Ogema, Minn., was hospitalized on the day of the crash and died June 13 from head injuries suffered in the crash.

Bevins turned 24 years old while hospitalized, according to her online obituary.

“In 2023, Asia graduated from the White Earth Tribal and Community College with her Associates of Arts Degree,” the obituary noted. “She was proud of her Native heritage and enjoyed sharing and teaching the language with those around her. Asia was furthering her education at Bemidji State University with the goal of becoming an Ojibwe language teacher.”

Riggle remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail ahead of a July 14 court appearance. A message was left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.

Court records show that Riggle’s criminal history includes one conviction each for drunken driving and having an open alcohol container in a vehicle. He also has two drug possession cases and another drunken-driving count pending.

According to the criminal complaint:

A sheriff’s deputy arrived at County Hwy. 56 and County Road 117 about 8:20 p.m. and saw an injured Bevins in a swamp. An air ambulance took her to a hospital in Fargo.

A sheriff’s sergeant questioned Riggle at the scene and detected an odor of alcohol coming from him. While in an ambulance, he said he had three beers and two shots of alcohol “a long time ago.”

A preliminary breath test administered by law enforcement measure his blood alcohol content at 0.138%, more than 1½ times the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.

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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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