Somerset County officials announced the arrest of Mr. Lashawn D. Boyd, 24, of New Brunswick in relation to his involvement in a drug overdose death.
Prosecutor Robertson stated that on Monday, January 20, at approximately 6:00 a.m. Bedminster Township Police responded to Lamington Road for a rescue squad call. Upon arrival, a 24 year old female resident of Bedminster was believed to be suffering from a heart attack and was subsequently transported to an area hospital.
According to officials, at approximately 5:37 p.m., the female resident was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
It was determined that the female resident died from a suspected drug overdose.
A quantity of suspected heroin was later recovered from her belongings.
The New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office responded and subsequently performed an autopsy for cause and manner of death.
The autopsy by the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be from combined adverse effects of cocaine, fentanyl and sertraline.
Prosecutor Robertson stated that detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and detectives from the Bedminster Township Police Department conducted the drug overdose death investigation which revealed that the female decedent made arrangements with Lashawn Boyd to meet for a suspected drug transaction on January 19, 2020.
A further investigation revealed that the female decedent and Lashawn Boyd were in the same location on January 19, 2020 for a brief period of time officials said.
Prosecutor Robertson stated that on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, defendant Boyd was taken into custody without incident by detectives assigned to the investigation.
Defendant Boyd was charged with first 1st degree Drug Induced Death and subsequently lodged at the Somerset County Jail pending a bail detention hearing in this matter.