Police: Drug Overdose Kills 3, Hospitalizes 4 In South Side
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Police say three people have died, and four others are hospitalized after an incident on Pittsburgh's South Side.
Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich says three are dead and four are hospitalized.
WATCH: Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich addresses media
Just before 7:30 a.m. Sunday, police said they were responding to the medical situation.
Police are investigating a medical situation on the South Side:https://t.co/gOKLmS39lB pic.twitter.com/G51ldRgrZl
— Pgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) September 22, 2019
According to the Public Safety director, five were found in a Southside Works City Apartments and one in an elevator. The seventh victim was found at the corner of 26th Street and East Carson Street.
The deceased were 32-year-old Rubiel Martinez of Columbus, 38-year-old Josue Serrano of Carthage, and 32-year-old Joel Pecina of Coraopolis.
All the victims were wearing orange paper wrist bands, and police said they were aware of two Pittsburgh venues that used orange wrist bands Saturday night. After further investigation, it was determined that an event with orange wrist bands was not related to the deaths and injuries.
New information. This situation is in the 2600 block of Tunnel Blvd. pic.twitter.com/5NcyLnPnhj
— Chris Hoffman (@NewsmanChris) September 22, 2019
They believe this was an isolated drug-overdose event, not a widespread situation.
Police say they want to stress that this isn't a case of drugs being passed around at a large venue in a way that could have affected other people.
However, they say they are concerned about a "tainted, potentially deadly batch of drugs."
"But that doesn't mean that there isn't some bad drugs going around elsewhere," said Pittsburgh Police Commander Jason Lando.
"We have nothing to put us in that direction right now."
Three of the victims were upgraded to stable condition, and one is still in critical condition.
Pittsburgh Police Commander Jason Lando says it appears all the victims will survive.
UPDATE: police say this was an ISOLATED drug-overdose event. It is NOT a widespread situation. https://t.co/f1k2Mnz9dF
— Chris Hoffman (@NewsmanChris) September 22, 2019
Police said that the victims took drugs at a different place, not a venue that would have had an orange band.
The City Clubs Apartments Manager issued a statement, saying that the individuals involved weren't residents at the building.
The statement reads:
"The individuals that were involved in the incident were not residents of our community. It is our understanding that they were acquaintances of a resident in good standing. It is also our understanding that the group had attended an outside event before returning to the apartment.
We express our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the affected individuals and send our thoughts and prayers to those who were transported to the hospital.
We are working closely with the local authorities. As this is an ongoing police investigation, all questions should be directed to the Pittsburgh Police Department."
Police say they aren't sure what the drug is. But they don't expect to see overdoses all over the city, even if there's the possibility of a bad batch going around.
"So we are not in a situation where we expect people to be found in an overdosed state all over the city," Lando said.
Anyone who has knowledge of the party or event they attended is asked to call police at 412-323-7141.
Stay with KDKA.com for the latest on this developing story.
