Susanne Rachel Whitaker, a 41-year-old resident of a second-floor apartment at European Village in Palm Coast, fell from her balcony early Sunday morning. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is describing the incident as “suspicious.”
The 911 dispatch center got a call at 4:43 that morning reporting the fall. When deputies arrived, they saw Whitaker face down on the hard, tile surface of the ground below the apartments’ balconies, bleeding from the nose and exhibiting agonal breathing–a labored form of breathing often seen in severely injured people. Paramedics from the Palm Coast Fire Department took life-saving measures and transported Whitaker to a hospital.
Brett Lalomia, 49, told deputies he was Whitaker’s boyfriend of six years and a resident at the same apartment. According to a sheriff’s incident report, he told deputies that he wasn’t sure what had taken place. He first told them that he’d been sitting on the couch when he heard a “loud thump,” according to the report. He ran outside and saw that Whitaker had fallen, then ran downstairs and called 911. (According to Flagler County jail and court records, Lalomia had three arrests over a decade a go, one of them for fentanyl possession, and was found guilty of drug-related third-degree felonies on three occasions.)
Lalomia told deputies that his girlfriend allegedly “does inject fentanyl, and that it is very likely that she took it” that day, according to the report. (Fentanyl is a drug considerably more powerful than heroin.) Lalomia then told deputies “that law enforcement will not be entering his apartment, and at one point he attempted to walk away,” the report states. He said he and Whitaker had not been arguing.
A tenant from a nearby apartment waved down a deputy and informed the deputy of having been cleaning the patio right before the incident. The tenant reported hearing “a male and a female arguing in the apartment,” so the tenant went inside. The argument stopped, then the tenant heard a male yelling. “At that point [the tenant] heard a female scream, and as [the tenant] went out to the back porch… observed the female lying on the ground.” The tenant didn’t see anyone else around the woman.
“At this time the case is still under investigation,” a sheriff’s spokesperson said today. “Like any accident when someone is injured we have to review all sides to fully determine what has occurred and the woman is still hospitalized.”
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Richard says
Sounds like a good story for Lifetime Movie Network.
CB from PC says
Fentanyl, Felon and an argument on a balcony.
What could possibly go wrong?
Marcin Wasag says
Unfortunately,
The man in the story passed away last week
From what I understand his liver gave out
I do know that he was on the list awaiting a donor
I’m curious and how the donor list works
an example the liver donation
How do you decide on who to give a liver to ?
is it when a match comes to the top of the list ?
What if you were in active addiction?? Do you get passed bye or do they take a chance on your ability to see the gift of a second chance
Is it a roll of the dice ?
I believe one man’s life is just as valuable as another man’s life so I am definitely not making judgment I’m just curious
Marcin Wasag says
Please I do not need grammar or spelling police I see my typos the price you pay for talking text and AutoCorrect
Donate Life says
No, they do Not give organs to active addicts. Ever. Please go to UNOS.org which is the site for United Organ Sharing Network. There are very strict requirements to be accepted on a transplant list for any organ. Patients go through rigorous testing and a psychological evaluation amd a team of transplant physicians, nurses and other scientists determine if patient is a good candidate for transplantation.
If he was clean for a long time and it could be verified and he passed All tests, than yes he could’ve been on a list. If he began using after that and say he got the call, they would know through lab results if he’d been using and he’d get sent home without the transplant and be required to start the process all over. Another candidate would be contacted and if they meet requirements and cross and match etc, and in good condition, the transplant would take place.
Know that no Dr’s are making these decisions in the ER. It is a complicated process.
Visit UNOS.org.
Please register to be an organ donor amd tell your family members of your wishes. There are so many people on the waitlist for a life saving organ. Thank you.
Donate Life.
💚🙏💙