Overdoses in Yorktown and New Rochelle: Residents Want to Know, What Can Our Government Do?

Two recent cases of drug overdoses in different parts of Westchester County have residents asking what more can be done on the local level to stop the spread of narcotics containing Fentanyl. In Yorktown, the Westchester Medical Examiner’s report on the death of two residents found deceased with 150 cats in their home was a drug overdose.

On Jan. 30, Yorktown Police responded to 149 Cordial Road for a welfare check. They found Mary McGuinness and Patrick Hickey of Yorktown both deceased. Also in the small house, police found 150 cats.

The cause of death of for both McGuinnes and Hickey was determined to be “Acuts mixed drug intoxication,” with Fentanyl and Cocaine found to be the two drugs that caused an accidental overdose.

In New Rochelle, on March 25th, New Rochelle Police received a call from a male stating he was possibly overdosing and that he was with three others who were also overdosing and now unresponsive. The caller was disoriented did not know where he was, and New Rochelle Police Dispatchers were able ping his cell phone and determined his location to be 50 Fountain Place.

Responding officers located the caller and the three other unresponsive males in a storage room in the rear of 50 Fountain Place. New Rochelle Fire and EMS personnel responded and transported the caller to a local hospital. The three other males at the scene were pronounced deceased by EMS Personnel. They were: Carl Encarnacion, 43, Danny Howard, 49, and  Sean Thomas Windley, 28.

 The fourth victim, a Mt. Vernon resident, survived. The cause of the overdose has not been identified, but media reports claim that a combination of Heroin, Cocaine and Fentanly were involved. This investigation remains open and active, anyone with information is urged to call the New Rochelle Police at 914-654-2300. 

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic.

But many drugs sold illegally contain unregulated amounts of Fentanly, or the users of the drugs purchased are unaware that Fentanly is contained in the pill, heroin, and some forms of marijuana they are consuming.

We have received several email letters from Westchester residents asking what our local, county and state governments can do to combat the problem.