News / Health & Wellness
Bath Salts Not to Blame for Florida Attack?
The so-called “zombie attack” that included the alleged perpetrator chewing on his victim’s face was apparently not fueled by these powerful synthetic drugs, but the crackdown continues.
It’s a story that has spawned hundreds of tabloid reports, a gruesome new tourist destination, tales of zombie attacks, and dozens of punch lines for late-night talk show hosts and comedians. But the attack on a homeless man in Miami that included the alleged attacker chewing on his elderly victim’s face is a bizarre tragedy that has yielded few answers.
The Miami-Dade medical examiner recently announced that they found only marijuana in the body of the attacker, 31-year-old Rudy Eugene, who was fatally shot during the attack on Memorial Day weekend. The medical examiner's office announced that its toxicology report was now complete.
The shocking incident had many speculating that hard drugs – likely the popular new “bath salts”—must have played a role in the attack, but officials report that “the laboratory has tested for but not detected any other street drugs, alcohol or prescription drugs, or any adulterants found in street drugs.”
That leaves many questioning what could have possibly led to such a vicious, unprovoked attack. Some suggest Eugene suffered from mental health issues that may have contributed; still, there seem to be some rather large pieces missing from this puzzle.
Meanwhile, the victim, Ronald Poppo, has been recovering at Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center since the May 26 attack along the MacArthur Causeway. About 50 percent of his face, including his forehead and cheek, was affected, and he has an infection, a brain injury and a puncture wound to his chest.
Prior to the release of this final toxicology report, the Miami area saw a severe crackdown on bath salts, and Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi recently held a ceremonial signing of House Bill 1175, which outlaws more than 90 new forms of synthetic drugs. Even if these dangerous drugs weren’t to blame in this case, it’s a positive change that was overdue.
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