KOKOMO, Ind. — Two people are under arrested after a 27-year-old woman overdosed and died due to ingesting fentanyl.

Emily Rouse, 21, and Dashawn Brown, 22, both face charges of dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death, a Level 1 felony, and dealing in a narcotic drug, a Level 2 felony.

Rouse faces additional charges of possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 3 felony; neglect of a dependent, a Level 5 felony, and a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana.

According to the Kokomo Police Department, officers were called to the Pine Valley apartment complex in reference to an overdose on Saturday, at approximately 10:38 p.m.

Police reported arriving on scene and finding a man performing CPR on an unresponsive woman. The man told officer she had taken “some fentanyl pills” and that he gave her two doses of Narcan to try and stop the overdose but the drug was ineffective.

Despite life-saving attempts by medics, the 27-year-old woman was pronounced dead.

“Any time we are dealing with fentanyl we have to be very careful because such a small amount can cause an overdose,” said Capt. Richard Benzinger with Kokomo Police.

Court documents reveal that investigators tied Rouse and Brown to the death of the woman through messages found on the overdose victim’s phone. Investigators accuse Brown and Rouse of being drug dealers who supplied the deceased with the fentanyl that led to her death.

According to the court documents, Brown was in Howard County Jail due to being arrested on gun charges and had Rouse facilitating the drug deal in his stead. Rouse reportedly sold the deceased five fentanyl tablets on the night she overdosed.

“I believe if (Brown) had not contacted (Rouse) about selling (the victim) narcotics the transaction may not have occurred and (the victim) may still be alive,” investigators wrote in the charging documents.

Police ended up searching Rouse’s apartment in the 2400 block of Baxter Road. During the search, police located more than 600 fentanyl pills, approximately 1.18 pounds of marijuana, a handgun and $3,015 in cash.

“I will say that in my experience that is a significant amount for this city,” said Benzinger.

“Be aware of what those pills look like in case they come into contact with them and they don’t mistake them for an Advil.”

Rouse’s young child was also reportedly in the apartment. Police said Rouse is currently pregnant.

Rouse was arrested as a result of the search.

Police said a warrant was then issued for Brown’s arrest. The arrest warrant was served at the Howard County Criminal Justice Center.

If convicted, both Rouse and Brown can face between 20 and 40 years in prison for their Level 1 felony charge.

The case remains under investigation and police ask anyone with information to contact Det. Andrew Grammer at (765) 456-7411 or the Kokomo Police Department Hotline at (765) 456-7017. 

At this time, the name of the overdose victim has not been provided by police or the Howard County Coroner’s Office.