TAMPA, Fla. — An arrest has been made after seven people police said had adverse reactions to drugs laced with fentanyl were rushed to a Florida hospital on Tuesday.
Albert Newman Wyche, 42, of Tampa, was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.
According to a news release from the Tampa Police Department, officers responded to an area outside a meat market at about 10 p.m. EDT and found six people either unresponsive or in respiratory distress.
“When officers arrived, they found six people on the ground,” the news release stated. “All of them were having a difficult time breathing and several were unresponsive.”
Police later found a seventh person a few blocks away who had been with the original group, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
The drugs were tested and were found to contain fentanyl mixed with Xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer, according to WTVT.
All seven people were transported to area hospitals by Tampa Fire Rescue, according to the television station. Police said all seven victims were listed in stable condition.
“This could’ve turned out a lot worse for those seven people,” Tampa Police Department spokesperson Jamel Lanee said in a statement.
Wyche was released from custody, according to online booking records.
Police said the investigation is ongoing, WFTS-TV reported.
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