Austin police arrest 6 people after 'unusually deadly' surge of opioid overdoses

Police successful Texas person arrested six individuals aft an unusually deadly drawstring of astir 80 drug overdoses, resulting successful 9 fatalities past week.

The Austin Police Department arrested 45-year-old Ronnie Lamar Mims, 30-year-old Marcellus Dion Barron, 32-year-old Kanady Arkangelo Rimijo, 50-year-old Gary Joseph Lewis, 47-year-old Denise Horton, and 27-year-old Guy Len Allen.

FOX 7 Austin reported that according to tribunal documents, nan six individuals were charged pinch felony possession aliases transportation of a controlled substance.

But during a property convention Tuesday, Austin Police Department Lt. Patrick Eastlick told reporters nary of nan suspects successful custody were straight linked to nan victims of nan overdoses past week.

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Ronnie Mims booking photo (Austin PD)

At astir 9 a.m. connected April 29, Austin-Travis County EMS unit began responding to a abrupt surge of opioid-related calls.

The calls came from nan downtown information of Austin, past began spreading to each areas of nan city.

Austin Chief Deputy Medical Director Dr. Heidi Abraham said astatine nan clip that connected a emblematic day, emergency unit could respond to betwixt 2 and 3 overdose calls. On April 29, crews had responded to astatine slightest 30 calls, but by nan extremity of nan week, they had responded to 80 overdose calls, which resulted successful astatine slightest 9 deaths.

"We haven't seen a spike successful overdoses of immoderate benignant for illustration this since we dealt pinch K2 successful 2015," Austin-Travis County EMS Capt. Christa Stedman told FOX 7.

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Denise Horton booking photo (Austin PD)

In consequence to nan surge, Eastlick said members of nan Organized Crime Division, Narcotics Support Unit, and different divisions of nan Austin Police Department began conducting targeted undercover investigations successful areas wherever location was an summation successful overdoses.

In particular, nan investigations homed successful connected nan downtown section, North Austin and South Austin.

The undercover operations resulted successful galore arrests related to narcotics, but Eastlick wanted to beryllium clear that nary of nan individuals arrested during nan investigations were linked to nan overdoses.

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Gary Lewis booking photo (Austin PD)

"The intent of these operations was to effort to place dealers responsible and nan sources of nan narcotics which caused nan overdoses," he said.

Eastlick besides said during nan operations, they seized various narcotics specified arsenic ace cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, which contained fentanyl.

The section said it does not travel crossed marijuana laced pinch fentanyl often, but has seen it successful nan past.

"It is concerning to us, not only pinch marijuana, but pinch each nan substances that are being mixed pinch fentanyl. And it’s a interest that each group should person erstwhile consuming illicit narcotics," Eastlick said. "And that’s 1 of nan risks…is you really don’t cognize what’s successful it."

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Kanady Rimijo booking photo (Austin PD)

Investigators theorize that erstwhile ace cocaine is purchased, nan dealers extremity up mixing it pinch different substances for illustration fentanyl to create much measurement and make much money, Eastlick explained.

So, what perchance happened is betwixt group trading ace cocaine to different dealers and past to buyers, fentanyl was mixed into nan batch.
"These mixtures aren’t done successful labs, and truthful there’s nary technological attack to it," Eastlick said. "So, perchance excessively overmuch fentanyl…got mixed successful pinch nan substances and caused nan overdoses that we saw."

Historically, he said, galore of nan narcotics dealers successful Austin are considered thoroughfare level, aliases they are retired to make a profit for themselves, arsenic opposed to being portion of awesome organized crime.

Court documents obtained by FOX 7 show that erstwhile APD arrested Mims, he was allegedly successful possession of fentanyl-laced cocaine successful his pants, which was discovered aft Narcan was administered to a man he was with. Mims has been charged pinch third-degree felony possession of a controlled substance.

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Marcellus Barroin booking photo (Austin PD)

Lewis and Horton were allegedly wrong a car pinch baggies of drugs, which they are accused of distributing and taking money from a dealer. The 2 were arrested and charged pinch second-degree felony fentanyl possession aft nan marijuana wrong nan conveyance tested affirmative for fentanyl.

The position besides reported that Rimijo and Barron were arrested for selling ace cocaine to an undercover officer. Rimijo reportedly had marijuana successful his overgarment pocket, and each nan narcotics successful their possession tested affirmative for fentanyl.

Rimijo faces first-degree felony transportation of a controlled constituent and Barron faces second-degree felony transportation of a controlled substance.

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Police and EMS received an unusually precocious number of calls for supplier overdoses successful Austin, Texas, past week. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The sixth fishy arrested was Allen, who constabulary declare was pinch different man erstwhile nan 2 of them were progressive successful a supplier woody pinch a bum person. Officers allegedly recovered meth-laced marijuana wrong Allen’s car wrong a drug-free area adjacent a time school, and he was charged pinch first-degree felony possession pinch intent to distribute.

Eastlick advised nan nationalist to beryllium mindful of suspicious activity successful their communities and scope retired to constabulary if they spot thing of concern.

He besides had a connection for those trading narcotics successful Austin.

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"Stop. Stop spreading nan poison that’s affecting our community," Eastlick said, adding that constabulary do not cognize what they are trading aliases how.

According to nan Austin-Travis County EMS, opioid overdoses returned to their emblematic levels connected Monday, though constabulary could not opportunity whether nan bad batch of narcotics had near nan city.

Austin constabulary and Travis County EMS did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment.