Cops: Dad overdoses, his 5-year-old calls police
Thinking her "daddy" was dead, a 5-year-old girl called Upper Darby police last night, who responded to her home and determined her father had passed out from a heroin overdose
Cops: Dad overdoses, his 5-year-old calls police
Stephanie Farr
Thinking her "daddy" was dead, a 5-year-old girl called Upper Darby police last night, who responded to her home and determined her father had passed out from a heroin overdose.
"A 5-year-old daughter witnessing her father overdosing on drugs - that's something she'll remember forever," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.
Around 9:30 p.m., the girl called 911 and said her "daddy" had fallen off of a chair in the basement, had blood on his eye and she couldn't wake him up. Police said when they arrived at the house on Vernon Road, it was the little girl who let them in the door and led them to her father, Jason Feranti, 31.
Police were able to shake Feranti awake and on a desk nearby they found two syringes, a bent spoon, a cotton ball, numerous torn plastic baggies and blue wax paper, all of which are items used to inject heroin, Chitwood said.
"He had been shooting up and passed out in front of her," Chitwood said. "There's no conscience, there's no sense of responsibility and there's certainly no common sense."
Feranti was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, recklessly endangering another person and drug offenses. He remains at the Delaware County Prison, according to police.
The girl was placed in the custody of her grandmother and Delaware County Children and Youth Services was notified on the incident, Chitwood said.
"The sad thing is it just goes to show you the scourge of heroin abuse. They don't care," he said. "What the hell happens if she gets a hold of the needle or swallows something?"
Chitwood said last night's incident is emblematic of a much bigger problem in Upper Darby. Just last May, a 4-year-old boy who was found wandering alone and sobbing in the 69th Street Terminal led police to his dad, who had passed out from a heroin overdose in a terminal bathroom.
Between Jan. 1, 2011 and May 3 of this year, there have been 19 overdose deaths in Upper Darby, 14 of which were directly related to heroin and the rest of which can be attributed to pills and other drugs. In the same time period, there were 101 overdose cases in which victims survived, 66 of which were directly related to heroin, police said.
"The heroin problem is epidemic out here and it leads to other crimes," Chitwood said. "When we catch burglars and debrief them it's heroin addicts who are doing the reaping and pillaging."
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I'm sorry that little girl saw that. My aunt died of an overdose and my cousin found her when she was 12. I pray the father gets help and the little is tended to in a loving home.— suzuka22- Comment removed.
- Amen to that, Travis. Now how much to drive me to the airport? — Middle_Class
- White trash .
— Joe R. - Comment removed.
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- At four years old the little girl is young enough to be adopted by a loving family. I hope that is what happens and he is stripped of his parental rights.— Wednesday
- At four years old the little girl is young enough to be adopted by a loving family. I hope that is what happens and he is stripped of his parental rights.— Wednesday
- Are we sure this man did anything wrong? After all, he *is* white.— Middle_Class
- Vernon Rd is in Drexel Hill. It's a lot of people that look like they're using on that side of Drexel Hill, and they all look like him.— DREXHILLMOM
- I hope he gets help.— sparky2212
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- People need to stop accepting that their friends are doing heroin, especially with their child present. Call the cops on them. And yes, there is an epidemic in Upper Darby. This is right down the street from where that girl got in trouble for somethign to do w/ heroin while she had her kid w/ her. And not more than a mile away from where the guy beat his girlfriend last week.
Although its worth pointing out, this stuff happens ALL OVER THE PLACE, not just in UD. Its just that not every township's police chief phones it in to the press every time it happens....— KingOfPhilly
