VALPARISO, Ind. (STNG) -- A northwest Indiana jail inmate got his girlfriend to bring drugs to him while he was hospitalized, police said.
A nurse overheard their conversation and called police, leading to additional charges against Dereck Ewing, 27, of Crown Point. Four of his visitors also were arrested after the 6:20 p.m. Thursday incident at Porter hospital, according to the police report.
Ewing's girlfriend, Cassandra Taylor, 25, of rural Valparaiso, eventually told police she bought $100 worth of heroin in Chicago and brought most of it to Ewing's room at the hospital.
He allegedly flushed two plastic bags worth down the toilet when police arrived, but more was discovered hidden on his visitors and in the macaroni and cheese on his meal tray. Ewing also allegedly swiped a vial of a prescription narcotic from another floor of the hospital while undergoing tests.
Ewing, a Porter County Jail inmate, faces three new felony charges: possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a prescribed drug without a prescription.
Taylor is charged with dealing a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. Ryan Cano, 20, of Crown Point, is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance. Joseph McChristian, 46, of Valparaiso, is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.
Ewing's sister, who did not appear to be involved in the drug deal but was visiting him, also was arrested after repeatedly screaming profanities in the hospital's hallways, disturbing patients, police said. Nicole Steller, 19, of Crown Point, is charged with disorderly conduct.
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