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3 dead in rash of drug overdoses in Akron

Posted at 12:46 PM, Jul 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-07 12:46:21-04

Three people are dead after a rash of overdoses in Akron that bombarded police and paramedics this week. 

Twenty people overdosed in just over 24 hours from Tuesday to Wednesday. Of those 20, three people died. 

Investigators believe heroin mixed with fentanyl was responsible for most of the overdoses.

Now the entire narcotics unit is joining officers who specialize in heroin cases in an effort to track down the dealers and any connections between the cases.

"We've put about four times as many people working day and night on this because if it is a bad bunch of dope, we want to get a search warrant on that location," said Akron Police Chief James Nice.

Officials are not sure whether all 17 heroin overdose patients used the same batch. However, they did say it was more resistant to Narcan.

"It becomes your spouse, your boyfriend, your lover, your mother, your brother, your sister, your God," said Leah, a former social worker from Bath Township. "Nothing else matters."

Leah has overdosed three times, but she is now in treatment at Oriana House and has been clean for five months. She said the drug Vivitrol has reduced her intense cravings.

Watch her full interview in the video player above.