Suspects identified in mass New Haven overdoses

<p>Police have released the identities of two suspects in connection with more than 100 K2 overdoses in New Haven this week.</p>

News 12 Staff

Aug 17, 2018, 7:12 PM

Updated 2,086 days ago

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Police have released the identities of two suspects in connection with more than 100 K2 overdoses in New Haven this week.
Police say two suspects, John Parker, 53, and Felix Melendez, 37, are in state custody, while a third is in federal custody. They have not released the identity of the third man.
Parker has been charged with intent to distribute and Melendez was taken into custody for having K2 on him. Police say he was previously arrested for selling drugs on the green.
The synthetic marijuana caused a chaotic scene on the New Haven Green on Wednesday, where over 70 people fell ill.
Since then, officials have put the total number of overdoses at 114. No deaths have occurred as a result of the overdoses.
Police Chief Anthony Campbell says tests done on the K2 show it was contaminated with another drug called fubinaca.
Medical officials say it was a fast-acting form of the drug. Officials say some patients returned to the green after being discharged from the hospital only to overdose again.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal met with New Haven leaders Friday and called the situation a public health crisis across the country.
New Haven Mayor Toni Harp says she is looking into getting addiction specialists placed on the green.
Harp says President Donald Trump's drug czar nominee Jim Carroll is slated to visit the city Monday.


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