Upper Darby probes two more overdoses; one fatal

UPPER DARBY » A 16-year-old Ridley Park girl is dead, apparently from a drug overdose that appears to have occurred in a motel room where she spent the night last Saturday with another juvenile girl – and for a time, with two adults, authorities said.

According to township police Superintendent Michael Chitwood, officers were dispatched to the Summit Motel at 351 E. Township Line Road, where the body was found in a stairwell between the lobby and the second floor, about 11 a.m. Sunday.

A 24-year-old Broomall man “was right there with the body,” Chitwood said, noting that motel video reviewed by investigators shows him carrying the body down the stairs. As of Wednesday afternoon, no charges have been filed in the death, or surrounding it.

“It’s an ongoing investigation,” Chitwood said Monday. “Right now, it’s a tragic tale, but one that could have some serious criminal consequences.”

Chitwood said again on Tuesday and Wednesday that the case remained under investigation, with the cause and manner of the 16-year-old girl’s death was pending a ruling by the Delaware County Medical Examiner’s Office.

“We have to wait for toxicology,” Chitwood said. “But we know … it’s another tragedy in the heroin scourge.”

According to Chitwood, the Broomall man has provided a statement to police.

“He is cooperating to a the superintendent said.

Through the investigation, Chitwood said, police determined that the Broomall man rented a room on the second floor of the circumstances point,” motel, apparently for the two girls, a 16-year-old from Ridley Park, and a 16-year-old from Newtown Square. Chitwood described both teens as runaways.

Chitwood said the relationship between the Broomall man and the juveniles was part of the investigation.

It was around 8 or 9 p.m. Saturday when he checked into the motel.

At some point, the Broomall man, the two juveniles, and a third female described only as an 18-year-old, “went to Kensington and Allegheny avenues in Philadelphia to buy drugs,” Chitwood said, citing the police investigation.

“He drove his (car) to K & A. He claims he stayed in the car and the other three bought the drugs,” Chitwood said.

Based on the investigation, the two juveniles purchased heroin, and the 18-year-old purchased crack cocaine.

All four later returned to the motel, but the two adults left about 1 a.m. Sunday, leaving the two juveniles in the room.

“He goes back about 10 o’clock Sunday morning to make sure they are checked out,” Chitwood said of the Broomall man. “He can’t wake up the 16-year-old. She’s dead … Instead of calling 911, he tries to carry (the body) out of the motel. But he drops the body in the stairwell, it’s too heavy.”

When confronted by a motel employee, the Broomall man reportedly said, “She’s sick. I’m trying to get her to my car,” Chitwood said.

It was the motel employee who called 911, Chitwood said.

Township police Officer William Gottsch was the first to respond at the motel.

“He tries to revive the 16-yearold with CPR,” Chitwood said. “He can’t get anything, no pulse, no nothing.”

Paramedics subsequently pronounced her dead at the scene.

Meanwhile, Chitwood said, the 16-year-old girl was still in the motel room.

“She was too whacked out to even talk to the officers,” he said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Chitwood said the 16-year-old girl remained hospitalized.

According to the Broomall man’s statement, between the two juveniles, they used four packets of heroin, as well as Xanax, Chitwood said.

There was no evidence of drug abuse found in the motel room.

“It was all cleaned up,” Chitwood said.

Chitwood said the 18-year-old woman has been cooperating with the ongoing investigation.

As part of the probe, Chitwood said detectives are continuing to review hours of surveillance video.