Two suspects have been arrested after a woman who overdosed on fentanyl in March died. The duo, whose names are not known, were charged with the distribution of narcotics and possession with intent to sell.
Police arrest 2 suspects after 5 mall employees overdose on fentanyl-laced drugs and 1 dies https://t.co/MaoaSREb9i
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) April 2, 2023
As reported by the New York Post, Michelle Edoo and four other women ingested fentanyl-laced cocaine in the lower level parking lot of The Shops at Riverside Mall in Hackensack, New Jersey, where they worked.
The five women had overdosed on the drug and slipped out of consciousness. They would later be discovered by shoppers who raised an alarm.
Upon the arrival of emergency responders, they administered Narcan, a medicine that helps reverse opioid overdoses. They also performed CPR on them.
The four women were transported to the hospital, while one refused medical aid. Upon treatment, the other women survived the incident; however, Edoo died three days later.
Edoo’s death adds to the majority of fatal overdoses attributed to fentanyl in the United States as drug dealers infuse more expensive drugs with fentanyl which is cheap. Small amounts of the opioid pack a heavier punch than other illegal drugs, making it a dangerous additive for people who do not know what they are consuming.
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella stated that the women may have ingested the substance, not knowing that it was laced with fentanyl. He further warned of the dangers of street drugs as there is no way to know what they contain.
“You have to assume that any drug, whether powder, pill, or vegetation, that is bought on the street or that is shared on the street contains fentanyl and it can kill you,” he stated.
Hackensack Police Director Ray Guidetti also spoke of the danger of illicit drugs poured out on the streets, calling the current overdose fatalities a mass poisoning crisis.
“A lot of the folks that are victims, they just don’t know exactly what they’re taking, and it may very well be illicit drugs or it may be something else. And even if it’s the illicit drugs, they have no idea they may be taking fentanyl. It’s the mass poisoning that we’re concerned about,” he stated.
