Police: Dozens Of Arrests, Drug Overdoses At Music Festival In Seaside Heights
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- More than two dozen people overdosed on drugs and 42 people were arrested during a two-day concert on the Seaside Heights beach, police said.
The dance music event called Electric Adventure Beach Weekend took place last weekend.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, 20 of the adults and three of the seven juveniles arrested were accused of controlled dangerous substance offenses.
None of the 34 drug overdoses resulted in death, authorities said.
This was the first time the event was held in Seaside Heights. It was held at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. the two years prior.
There have been similar instances, some with deadly outcomes, in New York over the past year.
In September, two young concertgoers died at the Electric Zoo Music Festival held on Randalls Island.
Police identified the two festival goers who died as Jeffrey Russ, 23, of Rochester, N.Y. and Olivia Rotondo, 20, of Providence, R.I.
Russ was a recent graduate of Syracuse University, while Rotondo was a junior at the University of New Hampshire.
According to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Rotondo died of acute methylenedioxymethamphetamine intoxication with hyperthermia. Russ succumbed to acute intoxication by the combined effects of methylenedioxymethamphetimine and methylone with hyperthermia.
Under pressure from city officials following the deaths, organizers canceled the final day of the festival.
Last week, Patrick Morgan, 23, was arrested on narcotics charges in connection to Russ' death. He was charged with one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics and another count of distributing narcotics. The counts each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
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