Woman Dies From Overdose As Man Waits Over An Hour To Call 911

A woman in Okaloosa County, Florida is dead from drug overdose after the man with whom she was using waited over an hour to report her critically time-sensitive overdose on June 30 last year. The man is now being charged with negligent manslaughter for his failure to take what could have been potentially lifesaving measures.

ABC affiliate WEAR-TV reports that 39-year-old Albert Diaz was arrested in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana and later extradited to Okaloosa County shortly thereafter. The arrest report indicated that Diaz called 911 at 10:10 a.m. and said the woman, 28-year-old Grace Morales, wasn’t breathing. She was pronounced dead 15 minutes after first responders arrived on the scene, an industrial building in Fort Walton Beach.

Investigators later pieced together that Diaz and Morales left a nightclub together at 3:18 a.m., and according to a witness went to the industrial area to “do lines.” Morales’ toxicology report indicated that there was fentanyl and ethanol in her system. The witness who saw them leaving the nightclub told authorities that Diaz called him shortly after to tell him that Morales wasn’t waking up.

The arrest report indicated 33 calls and texts before Diaz actually called 911 over an hour later. According to the arrest report, Diaz started calling one witness at 9:21 a.m., asking for a ride and saying he needed "to be immediately picked up."

Diaz is facing criminal charges after the sheriff's office said, "By not seeking medical aid for 61 minutes or more after observing the victim on the floor, he displayed gross and flagrant disregard for her safety." There is no word regarding his bail or whether or not he is represented by council.

More and more people are facing criminal charges for knowingly delaying or failing to report to authorities overdose cases they witness. More often than not, it’s a friend with whom they are using drugs, and they are scared to call the cops because of fear of legal penalty.