The Sandusky police department has handled three heroin related incidents this month in what Police Chief Brett Lester calls a spike in drug cases in the city. According to Lester, all three cases involved either possession of heroin or activity associated with the potent drug.
On December 1st, Sandusky police were called to Benchwarmer’s where a stolen vehicle was reported. Officers learned through self-admission that 23-year-old Brittany Thibert had taken a family member’s car and drove to Pontiac in an attempt to purchase heroin. She has been arraigned with Unlawful Driving Away of an Automobile.
December 7th, Sandusky police found a small amount of heroin on a suspect in a car in the parking lot at McKenzie Healthcare Systems. A 22-year-old Port Huron woman is facing pending charges.
December 15th, Sandusky police handled a Domestic Violence case where a 9-month pregnant woman was forced to seek refuge in 20-degree weather after a male suspect locked her out of an apartment. The Sanilac County DTF assisted officers in obtaining a search warrant and searching the home. Drug paraphernalia was found in the home and a 35-year-old male has been released on bond.
Lester said according to statistics, 1 of 15 people who abuse pain killers become heroin users within 10 years and in the past 10 years, heroin use nationwide has doubled to a staggering 680,000 people. A 50% decrease in cost of the drug has led to more experimental use, Lester said, and more than 1,600 people have died from heroin overdose in most recent information, more than three times the amount of deaths that were reported 20 years ago.
