Woman faces jail for fatal overdose of homeless man

A Norristown woman faces time behind bars on a manslaughter charge in connection with the overdose death of a man at a homeless outreach center on the Norristown State Hospital grounds.

Sandra H. “Sandy” McDonald, 52, of the 1200 block of Markley Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11 ½ to 23 months in the county jail after she pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter, possession of fentanyl and possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the Oct. 6, 2017, overdose death of Noel Hernandez, 49, at the shelter located off Locust Street.

Judge Thomas C. Branca, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered McDonald to complete five years of probation following parole, meaning McDonald will be under court supervision for about seven years. Branca also ordered McDonald to undergo a mental health evaluation and to comply with all recommendations for treatment.

By pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter, McDonald admitted that while acting in a reckless or grossly negligent manner, she caused the death of another person.

A more serious charge of drug delivery resulting in death was dismissed against McDonald as part of the plea agreement.

An investigation began about 8:34 p.m. Oct.

6, 2017, when Norristown police were dispatched to the first floor of the Locust Street shelter on the grounds of the state hospital for a report of a medical emergency and suspected drug overdose, according to the criminal complaint filed by county detectives and Norristown police. Investigators found Hernandez dead at the scene.

Witnesses reported that Hernandez was a known heroin user and that they noticed Hernandez “was obviously high” earlier in the evening.

Witnesses also reported observing Hernandez sitting at an outside picnic table, in the smoking area of the Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center, earlier in the evening and McDonald walking up to Hernandez and handing him something, according to the criminal complaint. Court documents indicate that video surveillance in the area captured the hand-tohand transaction.

“(The witness) stated it was obvious that it was a drug deal,” detectives alleged in the criminal complaint, adding McDonald also had stayed at the shelter.

Detectives seized Hernandez’s cellphone, which was found next to his body, and discovered numerous text messages between Hernandez and McDonald that appeared to be discussing narcotics, according to the arrest affidavit.

Detectives also seized McDonald’s cellphone and discovered text message threads indicating she obtained heroin/fentanyl from a supplier and then delivered the drugs to Hernandez, according to the criminal complaint.

“From our training and experience, these messages appear to show two separate drug deals involving the sale of heroin/fentanyl from McDonald to Hernandez,” detectives wrote in the arrest affidavit.

During questioning by detectives, McDonald gave consent for police to search her purse. During the search, investigators located drug paraphernalia, including a cut straw with suspected heroin residue and an empty bag with suspected heroin residue, according to the arrest affidavit.