The woman, Rose Hernandez, was found unresponsive and bleeding on a West Scranton street

SCRANTON, Pa. — An 18-year-old Scranton woman died Monday and her boyfriend from South Carolina is set to be arraigned for felony assault, Scranton police said today.

The woman, Rose Hernandez, was found bleeding and unresponsive late Monday afternoon on the 1100 block of Round Woods Place, an alley in the rear of West Locust Street in West Side, the city police said in a statement. Hernandez’s injuries, police said, were “consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle.” 

When the police arrived, she was in a pool of blood and bleeding from her mouth. She wasn’t breathing. An ambulance from Pennsylvania Ambulance rushed her to Geisinger Community Medical Center’s trauma unit, where she was pronounced dead.

An autopsy to determine her exact cause and manner of death — including if it is classified as a homicide — is scheduled later today.

Her boyfriend, Joseph Garcia, 18, told the police they were in an argument that escalated when she tried to grab his car door handle as he accelerated away. He claimed that as he stopped the car, Hernandez struck another vehicle. 

Garcia, police said, lied to Hernandez’s family and said she fell out of his car, a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro.

The police believe that Garcia ran her over.

“Your affiants contend that Joseph Garcia is indeed responsible for the death of Rose Hernandez who he ran over with his Chevrolet Camaro in the 1100 block of Round Woods Place during a domestic dispute,” wrote Detectives Michael Schultz and Jill Foley in an affidavit.

Her clothing had tires marks. Garcia’s Camaro had blood on the hood and driver’s side window and exterior door. His bumper was also damaged and folded inward.

Nearby video cameras captured Hernandez trying to grab the car door handle as it sped away.

The Camaro “then speeds away driven by Garcia going westbound in Roundwoods Place, and the victim is no longer seen on the video surveillance (down injured in the alleyway),” wrote Schultz and Foley. “The suspect, Joseph Garcia, is observed on video surveillance minutes later attempting to pick the victim Hernandez up from the ground and carry her…towards his vehicle.”

The police charged Garcia with two counts of felony aggravated assault. Magisterial District Judge Paul Keeler denied bail on the grounds that “no conditions could secure the safety of community,” according to a filing in court. Garcia’s next court appearance is Jan. 12 but it was unclear if he has an attorney.

Also today, Scranton School District Superintendent Dr. Erin Keating shared a letter with district families expressing “it is with deep sadness that I share the loss of one of our students.” The letter does not identify the student by name, though Hernandez attended West Scranton High School.

Keating said the district would provide mental and behavioral health support for students and staff.