Charge dismissed in alleged robbery of overdose victim

WARREN — Two people were arrested Friday afternoon on suspicion that they robbed a woman who was overdosing, but charges were dropped against one and the other didn’t show up for court Monday.

A Newton Falls man, 40, was arrested Friday on felony robbery, but a Warren Municipal Court prosecutor decided against filing charges against him Monday morning, and he was released from the county jail.

Tabitha Kelm, 31, of Scott Street Northeast and Tod Avenue Southwest, was charged with possessing drug paraphernalia during the investigation of the alleged robbery but was released from the jail a few hours after her arrest Friday. She didn’t show up for court Monday, and an arrest warrant was issued.

Police said they were called to Oak Street Southwest near Nevada Avenue at 2:40 p.m. Friday and saw a man trying to help an unconscious woman, 49, of Warren, leaned against a telephone pole.

The man said he saw two people attempting to drag the woman into tall grass to the side of the road. He told the pair not to leave her there. The couple then dragged her to the telephone pole and went through her pockets, he said. The witness said the pair took drugs from the woman and left.

Officers administered a dose of the opiate reversal drug naloxone to the woman and she recovered, telling officers about drugs that were now missing from her pockets.

Officers later found the man and Kelm and questioned them about the woman. Kelm had straws in her purse that officers said are commonly used to snort drugs.

Both were taken to jail.