Man dies of heroin overdose in city
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on November 6, 2017 3:09 PM
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Goldsboro Police Department and Wayne County EMS responds to Knights Inn, formerly Serena Inn, Saturday night after a 31-year-old man lethally overdosed after doing heroin.
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Goldsboro Police Department and Wayne County EMS responds to Knights Inn, formerly Serena Inn, Saturday night after a 31-year-old man lethally overdosed after doing heroin.
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Wayne County EMS responds to 805 N. Claiborne St. on Saturday night, Nov. 5, after a 31-year-old woman overdosed. The patient had phoned in an earlier overdose call at Knights Inn, formerly Serena Inn.
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Wayne County EMS responds to 805 N. Claiborne St. on Saturday night, Nov. 5, after a 31-year-old woman overdosed. The patient had phoned in an earlier overdose call at Knights Inn, formerly Serena Inn.
News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Wayne County EMS responds to 805 N. Claiborne St. on Saturday night, Nov. 5, after a 31-year-old woman overdosed. The patient had phoned in an earlier overdose call at Knights Inn, formerly Serena Inn.
A 31-year-old Tarboro man overdosed on heroin and died at Serena Inn -- now named Knights Inn -- Saturday night, according to a Goldsboro police report.
It is the city's first heroin overdose death of the year.
Wayne County EMS pronounced dead Brandon Spain, 31, of 2207 Robin Drive, Tarboro, in Room 213 of the motel.
According to the report, a 31-year-old Goldsboro woman he was with called police to report that Spain had overdosed at about 8:32 p.m.
She had also overdosed, but did not require medical attention at the time.
That same woman then overdosed for a second time three hours later at a home in the 800 block of North Claiborne Street at about 11:28 p.m.
A man called police and told them he picked the woman up after the first overdose and brought her back to his house.
When they got there, she told the man she needed to use the bathroom.
She came out of the restroom and became unresponsive.
Wayne County EMS responded and revived the victim and took her to Wayne UNC Health Care for further treatment.
It was not clear on either report what drug the woman had reportedly overdosed on either time.
Goldsboro Police Department data puts the number of reported overdoses in the city so far this year at more than 70.
Police Chief Mike West said the Serena Inn changed its name to Knights Inn about three weeks ago, and that it does not affect a court order issued against the business in September.
A temporary restraining order that barred the business from renting out rooms was served on the property owners in the middle of September.
A court order enacted Sept. 29 leveraged sweeping restrictions against the business. It labeled the business as a nuisance where criminal activity was happening, and the restrictions were designed to stop that.
Among the restrictions is a provision that allows Goldsboro Police Chief Mike West sole discretion over whether or not a long-term tenant's occupancy at the hotel should be terminated.
This restriction applies to people staying seven consecutive days or longer, per the court order.
Should West decide any long-term tenant should not be staying at the motel, he will notify the management and that person will be forced to leave by checkout time on the next business day.
Also in the court order is a provision allowing law enforcement 24/7 remote access to all of the hotel's security cameras. This order required the motel to install a minimum of 32 security cameras, all of which police would be able to access.
Anyone checking in to the motel will also be required to present a valid, government-issued photo identification and must stay in the room they are renting.
People checking into the hotel will also be required to fill out a registration card with their full name, their home address, vehicle license plate information, vehicle description, time of arrival and their assigned room number.
A registry of people staying at the motel will be kept on hand for review by law enforcement at any time.
Also in the court order are provisions requiring certain lighting be installed on the property, restricting alcohol sales and also barring the operation of any sort of private club on the property, including a topless bar, night club, dance or disco club.
The motel will not be allowed to sell liquor on the premises, and will only be able to sell beer or wine after going 30 consecutive months without violating the court order.
If any part of the court order is violated, the people operating the motel could face fines and even prison time.
West said the department's VICE Unit is following up on the fatal overdose to determine whether or not it violated the court order.