Man charged in overdose death
LOWER POTTSGROVE >> Police have arrested a 26-year-old Pottstown man following an investigation into the reported overdose death of a 25-year-old woman.
Police have charged Blaise Rusek with involuntarily manslaughter, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and related charges after it was revealed through an investigation that Rusek was in contact with the victim.
According to an online post by Lower Pottsgrove Police, officers responded to Pinehurst Drive in Lower Pottsgrove Township for the report of an unresponsive 25-year-old woman on Jan. 21, 2019 at 6:30 a.m.
Officers arrived at the single-family home and found Nadia Lopez unresponsive from an apparent opioid overdose. Efforts were made to revive Lopez by police and responding ambulance personnel.
Lopez was transported to the Pottstown Hospital for treatment but was declared dead on Jan. 23, 2019.
In the home, officers said they located several bags containing white powder and stamped with “Monkey Shines.” This type of bag is commonly used for packaging heroin and/or fentanyl, according to police.
During the investigation, Lopez’s phone was recovered by police. Detectives examined Lopez’s phone and
found that she had been in communication with Blaise Rusek the evening before and the early morning hours on the day of her death, police said.
The two communicated with each other to coordinate Rusek’s travel to Philadelphia to purchase heroin/fentanyl for Lopez, police allege.
The communications also show that they coordinated for Rusek to deliver the heroin/fentanyl to her home several hours prior to her death. Detectives confirmed the conversation through Rusek’s phone records and witness interviews.
Forensic Pathologist Ian C. Hood of the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Lopez’s body on Jan. 25 and determined that the cause of death was fentanyl toxicity.
An analysis by National Medical Services of the bags stamped “Monkey Shines,” located at the scene of Lopez’s overdose, were found to contain fentanyl.
Rusek was charged with involuntarily manslaughter, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility, recklessly endangering another person, and possession of a controlled substance.
Rusek was taken into custody by the Lower Pottsgrove Police Department on Aug. 27.
He was arraigned before District Judge Edward Kropp Sr., who set bail at $500,000. Rusek was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.