In early September, it was Samatha Brewer, 30, a young mother, who died at her R-Section home in palm Coast after years of struggles with substance abuse. Late last month, an 18-month-old from the Mondex ended up in intensive care after ingesting a narcotic, his mother’s, intended to control addiction.
On September 26 in Palm Coast and again on Wednesday (Oct. 3) in the Mondex, or Daytona North, Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were again called out to investigate two more deaths by apparent overdose: 31-year-old William D. Scott and 49-year-old Maxie Nieves.
Scott was a resident of Bruce Lane in Palm Coast. His mother found him before dawn the morning of Sept. 26 on his bedroom floor, in the fetal position, according to a sheriff’s report. Scott had last spoken to his brother the evening before around 9:30 p.m. when he went to get a drink from the kitchen. His younger brother told him he was going to bed, and went to his room.
Scott’s mother was getting ready for work the next day when she noticed a light still on in her son’s bedroom. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. She got a key and went in, finding him unresponsive. His brother came in and soon realized Scott had died. They called 911.
When deputies arrived, they observed some cigarettes on the bed and a medication box, and, on a dresser, “a spoon with a type of white resin.” The sheriff’s investigators reported to the scene, as is routine in such instances, interviewed family members, and conducted their investigation, along with a crime scene investigation technician. The medical examiner removed the body a little before 9 a.m.
Maxie Nieves lived on Avocado Boulevard in Daytona North with a roommate. Deputies responded there, “in reference to a possible overdose,” around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Nieves was in a back bedroom, partially on the bed. His feet were touching the floor at the foot of the bed. There was “a blue Pepsi can with small holes in it with an unknown ash residue, a clear plastic baggie, and a green lighter” next to his foot, according to the sheriff’s report. There was a bit of ash residue on the blue shorts he was wearing.
Flagler County Fire Rescue Paramedics pronounced Nieves dead at 8:38 p.m. He was originally from Brooklyn, N.Y. Earlier this year he’d been battling a cocaine possession charge and was placed on drug-offender probation for two years.
Nieves’s 32-year-old roommate, Rickey Harrison, told deputies he’d last spoken to Nieves at 3:45 a.m. in the house, about the time when Harrison left for work. Harrison asked Nieves if he needed a ride to work. Nieves did not. Harrison returned at 1:30 p.m. to find Nieves in his bed. Harrison left, ran errands, and returned to find Nieves had not moved. He yelled out, banged on the wall to catch his attention, got no response. He got a neighbor, and the two of them then noticed Nieves wasn’t breathing, and called 911.
Harrison told deputies that Nieves “possibly suffered from depression” but he was unaware of other medical conditions. (Harrison himself had had several arrests for drugs, serving a stint in state prison for selling oxycodone. His probation ended this year.)
The scene was turned over to detectives and the usual procedures that follow, and a funeral home removed the body.
Savannah's crusade says
Prayers for the Overdose victims and their families 🙏🏻
Really says
RIP
Mmpatint says
First off I’m sure we will see a lot more of this considering we are in a county that is manufacturing drug addicts by taking normal ppl who was arrested for say arguing or fighting or smoking a joint and they put them in drug classes even tho obviously they don’t do drugs.yet this backwards county will send a perfectly sober person to drug classes with a bunch of worth less junkies to learn how to be a junkie and meet the junkies and learn to be a junkie. I almost believe it’s the police and court system pumping the pills meth dope ECT into the streets here cause they love turning ppl that know nothing about drugs into expert drig addicts by placing them into a room twice a week with a bunch of scum bags they never would have known to begin with.just think they let the meth heads out immediately they let the pill heads out immediately they let the dopers out immediately and they send ppl with no drug history to drug classes to become drug addicts 🤔how does no one else see this problem?now get cought with a joint of weed and they want to put you in jail for hafe your life?🤔🤔🤔🤔🍻
Richard says
It is so sad that people find “doing drugs” is far better than facing life head on. It WILL catch up with them either financially, physically or mentally. I guess all of these drug prevention programs that have been going on for decades are really working out. Ya think!
MannyHM says
Once addicted, a person is never commpletely free of such disease. It’s like diabetes or emphysema. It’s a cycle of relapse and sobriety, bad days and worse days. Environment, associates, and stressors/triggers bring back addicts to using. Being arrested actually saves an addict from lethal overdose. I’ve worked in Addiction Medicine for 10 years. It’s depressing to be an addict.
Really says
Legalize Marijuana and stop all the madness
EMILY says
Medical MJ is legal now. I think recreational legalization will happen soon.
FBPC says
Why don’t they change the laws and when an adult son or daughter or whoever moves back in your house with a thousand promises of the changes their going to make you see them not carrying out those promises you want them to go you don’t want to find them dead in their bedroom .
The laws in this county forces you to pay the courts a fee to eject or whatever. It’s hard to live with them they won’t hit rock botttom with all the comforts your hard work paid for. A parent or grandparent should never have to find their child overdosed in their home
Then parents get labeled as an enabler because they were housing their child of whatever age. That you camt convience to get treatment
Bake Rack is nearly a joke 3 days. Marchsman Act it is a stsrt but to many addicts are such great actors there released at first court appearence in what 5-7 days
There has to be programs inpantient that you can send the addicted person to with no nsurance for treatment and healing and thats not happening in a week ,maybe 6 months or a year
They can support these programs with the drug money they get from drug bust. Not bu flashly black mustangs The addict needs help, and the family is being destroyed watching their loved one going down the drain wondeeing what day they will find the same situation.
Prayers for the families of the deceased
Also for any real friends they had not their drug dealer
.
Anonymous44 says
One of the issues are there’s not enough beds in the available rehabs. So either the jail, let’s them go. Or they do their time with no help. Getting put back on the street, learning nothing, except how to be a better criminal and learning more places to score. Sad! I hear all the time how another rehab is closing. Why? Funding? Do we not care about our friends, and loved ones?! It makes me sick! I know this disease affects about 99 percent of this town. Either you’re struggling, a family member is, or a good friend. I know I’ve lost too many friends to this disease. This must stop!