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View Winners → Pasadena Police Investigate Multiple Deaths Over the Weekend Possibly Linked to Overdoses
News Sep 14, 2020
Pre-filled syringe of naloxone HCl preparation, single dose vial for intravenous, intramuscular, or intranasal administration. – Courtesy photo by Mark Oniffrey / Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Between Friday, Sept. 11, 2020 at 4:30 pm and Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 at 1 p.m., the Pasadena Police Department and Pasadena Fire Department responded to six different calls related to overdoses with seven different victims, according to a press release from the police department.
The first report occurred at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon when paramedics transported an unresponsive individual to a local hospital who was suffering from respiratory distress, consistent with opiate overdose.
The most recent reported incident occurred at approximately 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon when police received a call of deceased male in the 1700 block of Casitas Avenue. Police said there was evidence that suggests narcotics were likely the cause of his death.
All seven individuals were males who ranged in age from their 30s to their 60s. Three of the victims died, one person was reported as being in grave condition, and the other three were transported to local hospitals and are recovering.
Although confirmation as to the cause of death will have to wait for toxicology reports, preliminarily it appears the overdoses were a result of the ingestion of an opiate, said officials. Naloxone (NARCAN) was administered to two of the surviving individuals, with positive results.
Detectives are investigating to determine if these incidents are linked. Opium related deaths are not common in Pasadena and both the police and fire department are “extremely concerned about the increase in overdose related deaths over the past 24 hours,” officials said. Paramedics and police officers are equipped with the nasal spray naloxone and if administered in a timely manner, can counteract the effects of opium overdose.
Anyone with information about any of these cases can call the Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241 or you may report information anonymously by calling “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” mobile app on Google Play or the Apple App Store or by using the website lacrimestoppers.org.
