What there is to know
- Two people have been arrested in connection with the fentanyl overdose that knocked out five women in the parking lot of an upscale New Jersey mall last week, a law enforcement source told NBC 4 New York on Thursday.
- One of the women died over the weekend, which could mean further charges, the source said.
- Officers responding to a 911 call found them all sprawled out on the lower deck of the Shops at Riverside parking lot just over a week ago on March 15. The source said both arrests were linked to how the women were getting fentanyl, which is up to 100 times stronger than heroin.
NEW JERSEY – Two people have been arrested in connection with the fentanyl overdose that knocked out five women in the parking lot of an upscale New Jersey mall last week, a law enforcement source told sister channel NBC 4 on Thursday. New York.
One of the women died over the weekend, which could mean further charges, the source said.
The names of the two people arrested were not immediately known, nor was the identity of the woman who died Thursday morning. She had been hospitalized in serious condition since Wednesday’s incident at the Riverside Shops in Hackensack, authorities said. The source says she passed away on Saturday.
Three other women who were taken to hospital were released soon after, and a fifth woman refused help. All five have been relaunched with Narcan.
Officers responding to a 911 call found them all sprawled out on the lower deck of the Shops at Riverside parking lot just over a week ago on March 15. The source said both arrests were linked to how the women were getting fentanyl, which is up to 100 times stronger than heroin. Rescuers rushed to her aid, photos show.
Sources said it was unclear if the women knew it was the drug they were taking. The opioid can be used to mix drugs such as cocaine or heroin to produce a stronger high, authorities said. Tests were said to be pending.
The women are between 29 and 41 years old. No other details were released other than that they worked at the mall.
Hackensack Mayor John Labrosse has condemned the drug scourge that he says has gripped too many American communities.
“It’s really heartbreaking to see the terrible toll caused by these illicit and dangerous substances,” Labrosse said last week, immediately after the overdoses. “My office has been working closely with law enforcement since this tragic incident was first reported, and we will continue to provide the necessary support to emergency services and the rest of the community as long as the situation continues. will continue.” .
The investigation, which is being led by the Hackensack Police Department, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the Bergen County District Attorney’s Office, is ongoing.
Fentanyl is considered one of the deadliest illicit drugs, 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin and likely driving a wave of opioid overdoses and deaths across the United States these last years. The Drug Enforcement Administration said in a public service announcement that it is “the deadliest drug we have ever seen”, and that just two milligrams can kill.
In January, a 57-year-old high school teacher in Westfield, New Jersey, overdosed in front of his students, authorities said. He was transported unconscious from the scene. There were no updates available on his condition on Thursday.