A Minneapolis man has agreed to plead guilty to lesser felony charges after prosecutors dropped a murder charge stemming from the death of his girlfriend, whom authorities said he deliberately ran over with a vehicle.

Jeffrey Cruz, 52, admitted in Hennepin County District Court to criminal vehicular homicide and first-degree drunken driving in connection with the June 2017 death of 49-year-old Stacy A. Buckanaga. The incident occurred behind the victim's apartment building in south Minneapolis.

Under the plea agreement, Cruz is expected to serve a 17-year sentence. After receiving credit for time already served, he is expected to spend roughly 10 years in prison, with the remainder of the sentence to be served under supervised release.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the murder charge as part of the plea deal. According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, a conviction on the murder count would have resulted in a sentence only slightly longer than the agreed-upon term.

Court records show Cruz did not possess a valid driver's license at the time of the incident. Authorities also noted his extensive criminal history, which included multiple drunken-driving convictions, driving-related offenses, robbery, burglary, domestic assault, and third-degree assault.

The case drew significant attention in Minneapolis due to the circumstances surrounding the victim's death and the decision to resolve the matter through a plea agreement rather than a murder trial.