Man Admits to Sneaking Drugs Into Norwood Hospital

NORWOOD, MA – A Hyde Park man admitted last week to sneaking drugs into Norwood Hospital and giving them to a patient last August.

Angel Garcia, 55, pled guilty to distribution of the class A controlled substance heroin and distribution of the class B controlled substance Suboxone in Norfolk District Court on August 2. He was scheduled to stand trial today.

"Norwood Hospital personnel were closely monitoring a female patient on the evening of August 8 last year when Mr. Garcia came to the room, ostensibly to provide the patient with a bag of fresh clothing," Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in a press release. "But that staff member also observed him transfer two pieces of paper to the patient, who then got up to move to the restroom – even though the patient was not supposed to move to the restroom alone."

The papers were confiscated by hospital staff, and a supervising nurse called Norwood Police.

According to Morrissey, police found a broken orange pill in one piece of paper and a powdery substance in the other, which an officer determined were controlled substances. A search warrant was later executed based on the officers' findings.

"The security and medical staff were of great assistance to the Norwood Police Department in this case," Morrissey said in the release.

Garcia was sentenced to 4 to 5 years in state prison; Morrissey said though the sentence seems lengthy given the small amount of drugs, it was not Garcia's first offense.