Police Use Overdose Victim’s Phone To Arrest Two People

Two people were arrested after police used a woman’s cellphone to arrange a drug buy hours after her fatal overdose.

The investigation began last Wednesday as officers were investigating a fatal overdose in the township. The victim’s name was not released.

At the scene, investigators recovered used drug baggies and the victim’s cellphone, according to court papers.

A review of recent text messages on the device indicated the victim had recently purchased heroin and fentanyl, police said.

According to police, the victim had sent a text message to an outside number stating that she had been “throwing up all night” and that there was “something way wrong with them.”

Detectives took the victim’s phone and began messaging that same number. They arranged a $100 transaction for 50 bags of heroin and fentanyl, police said.

At 10:05 p.m., investigators watching the pre-arranged meeting spot at a Wawa store observed a vehicle arrive, police said.

A woman exited the car and walked into the convenience store. Moments later, the deceased victim’s phone received a text message instructing her to go to the bathroom, police said.

The woman then exited the store, re-entered the vehicle, and the car drove away.

Bristol Township officers stopped the vehicle shortly after it left the parking lot and found Clark and Evans inside, police said.

Officers dialed the target number from the victim’s phone, causing two cellphones inside the vehicle to ring, police said.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 50 bags of suspected heroin and fentanyl alongside two sandwich bags containing suspected crack cocaine.

Tirkirah Jaquan Clark, 27, and Emanie S. Evans, 30, both of Trenton, were identified as the people in the vehicle that was stopped, police said.

Clark has been charged with manufacture, delivery, or possession of drugs with intent to manufacture or deliver and criminal attempt of the same offense. Evans was charged with a single count of criminal attempt to manufacture, deliver, or possess drugs with intent to manufacture or deliver.

The co-defendants were preliminarily arraigned last week by on-call District Judge Gary Gambardella. Clark was held on 10 percent of $1 million bail. Evans was initially held on 10 percent of $500,000 bail, but she was later released on nonmonetary bail after a bail modification.

The two were not charged in relation to the victim’s death.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.