Two people were found dead in a storage closet of a Connecticut restaurant while a third individual was also found but is expected to survive, according to authorities.
The three victims were discovered in an outdoor storage closet at New Haven’s Jack’s Bar and Steakhouse restaurant Monday, according to a statement from police.
The victims all appeared to have overdosed, New Haven Assistant Police Chief Karl Jacobson said, according to NBC Connecticut. The third victim was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, Jacobson added.
The three individuals are suspected to have been affiliated with one of the residents on College Street.
The owner of Jack’s Bar and Steakhouse spoke to WTNH and said they’re struggling to understand what happened.
“We’re sad, confused and a whole bunch of emotions we can’t explain,” owner Marco Siguenza told the outlet.
PD: Two New Haven restaurant employees found dead, third found alive in supply closet after apparent drug overdose. News 8’s @EvaZymaris was the first to talk to the restaurant’s owner >> https://t.co/ot3tSETqN6 pic.twitter.com/zA6CIoqNBa
— WTNH News 8 (@WTNH) February 16, 2021
Siguenza said a building manager and waiter discovered the men in the storage area while they were preparing for a lunch rush. Siguenza told the outlet he believes the victims snuck out there after hours. (RELATED: The Pandemic Has Led To More Drug Overdoses In A 12-Month Period That At Any Point In US History)
“One of [them] was two days working here, basically still training,” he said, according to the report. “One was an ex-employee. He hasn’t worked here in about a year.”
Siguenza said the third unidentified man that is reportedly expected to survive has been his employee for more than two years, according to WTNH.
All three victims are in their 50’s, according to NBC Connecticut.
Police told the Daily Caller they are treating the investigation as an untimely death.
Police said it’s unclear if they are dealing with a bad batch of drugs, according to Fox 61.
“We would say to people thinking about using drugs in the area to use extreme caution until we can figure out what this is,” Jacobson said.