Woman in critical condition after man hits her on the head with metal pole

A woman was brought to the hospital with critical injuries after being hit on the head with a metal pole, according to St. Paul police.

Officers were called to Higher Ground, an emergency shelter on Dorothy Day Place, on a report of an assault around 7 p.m. Tuesday. There, they found an injured woman.

The woman was conscious and breathing, but wasn’t able to say what happened to her.

She was brought to United Hospital, where police say she went unconscious and showed signs of a more serious head injury.

The woman was transferred to Regions Hospital, where she remains in critical condition.

Witnesses told police that they saw a man hit the victim in back of the head with a metal pole.

The man tried to run away, but the witnesses followed him and directed officers to his location. He was arrested and booked into jail on suspicion of aggravated assault.