6 Cocaine Overdoses, 3 Deaths This Week In Joliet: Police Confirm

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Police Department announced there have been a half dozen drug overdoses, including three fatalities, since Sunday morning that may all be linked to cocaine that was mixed with Fentanyl.

The Will County Coroner's Office confirmed on Wednesday that two people died Tuesday morning at Amita Health St. Joseph Medical Center following an apparent drug overdose on the city's near west side. The Joliet Fire Department told Patch that firefighter/paramedics transported four patients in critical condition at 9:26 a.m. Tuesday following a massive drug overdose in the 400 block of Bridge Street.

A 29-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman both died from that incident, Joliet Police confirmed. A 28-year-old man and a 30-year-old man are both recovering at Silver Cross Hospital, authorities indicated on Wednesday.

Joliet Deputy Fire Chief Greg Blaskey said because of the amount of drugs and drug paraphernalia found at the house, the HAZMAT unit was called. Joliet's Police Department responded to the property and Joliet Police reported that cocaine and Fentanyl were recovered from the property.

Two days earlier, on Sunday,Sept. 22, Joliet Police officers found a 40-year-old Joliet man dead inside his house in the 700 block of Landau Avenue around 8:35 a.m. Police also found a 35-year-old man inside the house, also unconscious. The Joliet Fire Department was able to revive the 35-year-old man and rush him to Silver Cross Hospital, where he is recovering.

"Detectives are investigating this as a possible drug overdose. Suspected cocaine was recovered at the scene. Detectives are awaiting toxicology reports to determine if any other substance was present such as Fentanyl," Joliet Police reported on Wednesday.

A Will County Coroner's office representative told Patch it usually takes six to eight weeks before the toxicology lab results come back to determine the official cause and manner of death.

As of Tuesday, the Will County Coroner's Office listed a total of 81 drug overdose deaths across Will County so far this year, of which 56 were from heroin/fentanyl use.

“When people use illegal narcotics, they never know what is truly in them. Unfortunately this can lead to people overdosing on potentially fatal substances," Joliet Chief of Police Al Roechner said Wednesday in a press release. "We want to let the public know we are fully investigating these cases. We also want to make the public aware that it appears cocaine is now being mixed with Fentanyl. I encourage anyone dealing with addiction issues to please seek help."