Tainted heroin blamed in at least three Cary deaths
CARY, North Carolina (WTVD) -- A national epidemic is hitting hard in Cary.
Search warrants just released Thursday show a tainted batch of heroin is suspected in at least three heroin overdose deaths around the Thanksgiving holiday.
"We are very concerned," said Cary Police Chief Tony Godwin.
From November 23-26, three people died of accidental overdoses.
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In the search warrant, Cary police pointed to a batch of "bad heroin" being sold and distributed within town limits.
"That happening is not the norm, it's not every day. But it just drives home the point we're not immune to it," Godwin said.
The first death came November 23; a 20-year old man was found dead by his roommate on Sherwood Forest Place.
A day later, police and paramedics rushed to Cary's Huntsmoor Lane- a 24-year old man overdosed in a house.
Then that weekend, a 40-year old woman was found unconscious in a Cary Hampton Inn. It was a deadly overdose in the bathroom.
According to the warrants, detectives traced cell phone evidence from the Cary hotel room back to 39-year-old Brock Clark.
Cops say Clark had large amounts of heroin and cocaine. He was charged with drug trafficking but has not been connected to any of the overdose cases.
Back at Cary PD, the case is raising new red flags about the local effect from a national epidemic.
Heroin deaths are skyrocketing in North Carolina. Drug overdoses are taking more lives here than car crashes or guns.
"Truth of the matter is, stats are numbers and we're not concerned about numbers. We're concerned about people. This is a people issue," Godwin said. "This is a problem in our community. These people are our citizens, our neighbors, our friends."
Cary town leaders say they are devising a proactive outreach plan for town residents battling opioid abuse.
Meantime, the investigation into the overdoses continues inside Cary Police Department.
Meanwhile other local law enforcement agencies are actively investigating whether that "bad heroin" seeped in to their cities or towns.
