NJ woman charged with causing fatal drug overdose death of South Toms River man – wobm.com
The ongoing drug epidemic continues to wreak havoc on our streets and in our communities across Ocean County and New Jersey.
The Ocean County Prosecutors Office is one of the agencies working to ensure those responsible for dealing drugs of all kinds in our area are off the streets and stay behind bars.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer recently told Townsquare Media on ‘Shore Time with Vin and Dave’ about how it’s beyond time to think about what to do, and do it in going after these drug dealers.
“I think any prosecutor would tell you that from a county level, we want to work on prevention, education, and enforcement — it’s a three pronged approach — I think each of those prongs is equally important. We work a lot in the prevention area, we certainly work a lot in the education area, and our Narcotics Strike Force is very proactive and I think that’s just as important.
You have to make sure that these drug dealers that are peddling drugs on the streets of Ocean County know that when we get you, we’re going to have you.
We started the first of its kind Drug Forfeiture Unit within the Strike Force. We have a Detective that is a CPA and he can do the financials and we can make sure that once we have you in our grasp, we’re going to get everything we can and we’re going to make sure we put you out of business.”
On Wednesday of this week, Prosecutor Billhimer announced that Michele Baker, 39, of Pleasantville, has been charged with Strict Liability Drug Induced Death in connection with the April 19 death of a 44 year-old man in South Toms River.
Baker has also been charged with Distribution of Heroin/Fentanyl, Possession of Heroin/Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of Heroin/Fentanyl.
The man was found unresponsive at a home on South Main Street by South Toms River Police who learned that he had died from an apparent drug overdose.
The investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force and South Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau learned that Baker sold Heroin and Fentanyl to the victim the day prior to his death.
Upon receiving the toxicology report, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the presence of Heroin and Fentanyl in the man’s system and learned from the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office that the Heroin and Fentanyl found in his system which caused his death.
Baker was actually arrested recently by Howell Police on an unrelated Shoplifting charge and then brought to the Monmouth County Jail and was brought to the Ocean County Jail on Monday, where she remains, pending a detention hearing.