A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Aug. 23 for a Walworth man who allegedly dragged an overdosing man out of his apartment without calling for help.
Derek S. Gabriel, 31, was charged Aug. 19 in Walworth County Circuit Court with second-degree recklessly endangering safety; maintaining a drug trafficking place; possession of marijuana, second and subsequent offense; and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the criminal complaint, an off-duty Delavan detective saw her neighbor, Gabriel, dragging an unresponsive or potentially lifeless man from his Fremont Street apartment at about 6:50 a.m. Aug. 12.
The detective, who was aware of a drug overdose at the residence three days earlier, called the police chief and began to render aid to the unresponsive man, whom she knew, according to the complaint.
The man’s body showed no signs of life, and the detective did not see Gabriel use his phone to call for help or call out verbally for anyone to assist, according to the complaint.
Gabriel appeared to be under the influence of drugs and asserted that the man merely drank too much alcohol and Gabriel was bringing him outside for some fresh air, the complaint states.
After the police chief arrived, the victim exhibited irregular breathing, was snorting and gurgling but had rolled-back eyes and was unconscious, according to the complaint.
Gabriel told police the man took four or five pills, which might have been narcotics, with alcohol the night before. The chief administered Narcan to the man, which had little effect. Gabriel was not forthcoming about what the victim might be suffering from, and, while rescue personnel were administered aid to the man, Gabriel went back into his apartment and locked the door, according to the complaint.
The victim was taken away by ambulance, and Gabriel’s apartment was searched. Police found marijuana, suspected heroin, multiple cell phones and numerous items used to ingest drugs, the complaint states.
