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Reports: Miami 'zombie' attacker may have been using 'bath salts'
A naked man who chewed off the face of another man in what is being called a zombie-like attack may have been under the influence of "bath salts," a drug referred to as the new LSD, according to reports from CNN affiliates in Miami.
Why 'bath salts' are dangerous
The horrific attack occurred Saturday and was only stopped after a police officer shot the attacker several times, killing him.
'Zombie apocalypse' trending as bad news spreads quickly
Larry Vega witnessed the attack on Miami's MacArthur Causeway. He told CNN affiliate WSVN he saw one naked man chewing off the face of another naked man.
Rudy Eugene
"The guy was like tearing him to pieces with his mouth, so I told him, 'Get off!'" Vega told WSVN. "You know it's like the guy just kept eating the other guy away, like ripping his skin."
"It was just a blob of blood," WSVN quoted Vega as saying. "You couldn't really see, it was just blood all over the place."
Vega said he flagged down a passing police officer.
"When the officer approached him, told him to stop, pointed a gun at him, he turned around and growled like a wild animal and kept eating at the man's face," Fraternal Order of Police President Armando Aguilar told CNN affiliate WPLG.
The attacker was identified by Miami-Dade Police as 31-year-old Rudy Eugene. Miami-Dade referred CNN to Miami Police for all other details of the investigation.
Augilar said he suspects the attacker was under the influence of "bath salts." Four other drug use instances in Miami-Dade bear resemblances to Saturday's attack, he told WPLG.
"It causes them to go completely insane and become very violent" and take off their clothes, Augilar told WPLG.
Dr. Paul Adams, an emergency room physician at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, told CNN affiliate WFOR that the drug makes users delirious. They exhibit elevated temperatures and extreme physical strength, Adams said.
“I took care of a 150 pound individual who you would have thought he was 250 pounds,” WFOR quoted Adams as saying. “It took six security officers to restrain the individual.”
Adams said users have been known to use their jaws as weapons, according to WFOR.
According to a 2011 report from the National Institute of Drug Abuse, bath salts contain amphetamine-like chemicals.
"Doctors and clinicians at U.S. poison centers have indicated that ingesting or snorting 'bath salts' containing synthetic stimulants can cause chest pains, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and delusions," according to the NIDA report.
In October, the Drug Enforcement Administration made possession of the stimulants in bath salts, Mephedrone, 3,4 methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and Methylone, illegal under an emergency order. The order lasts for a year with a possible six-month extension.
The stimulants have been placed under restrictions or banned in 37 states, according to a DEA press release.
The victim of Saturday's attack, whom police have not identified, was in critical condition at Jackson Memorial on Monday, according to the WPLG report. Augilar told WPLG that 75% to 80% of his face was missing.
Eugene had an arrest record, mostly misdemeanors, including a battery charge from when he was 16 that was later dropped, according to the Miami Herald.
He had been married but divorced in 2007, WPLG reported. His former wife told the station that Eugene had been violent toward her.
Homeless people near where the attack took place said Eugene was often seen around the area looking confused, according to WPLG.
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yep, it's definitely the new LSD. Don't you remember Zombiestock? This is how Hendrix died. He didn't have enough brains.
Who wrote this article? Tipper Gore?
Why does everyone keep on mentioning LSD? LSD is known for it's hallucinations....but that's obvious because it's a "hallucinogen" (spelling). It's a lot different than drugs who make people violent and extremely disoriented. LSD is one of the safest drugs you can kinda take...it does do much health wise..and just basically causes hallucinations. This is more similar to that PCP stuff, or Nitrous gas. Let's not get out of hand.
Really? Like, really? LSD causes physiological symptoms like increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, dizziness, sweating, nausea, numbness, tremors and others. LSD users can stay in a psychosis like state for YEARS with symptoms similar to bipolar disorder, effect a person's ability to recognize reality and think or communicate effectively. You don't just take some LSD and sit back to watch the world change shapes and colors. If you have a "bad trip", you're basically living a nightmare with no way to end it. Pointing out that without being able to recognize reality, you could potentially eat someone's face off while thinking its a cheeseburger. A drug that can cause a "perma-trip" or cause disorders and issues for you days, months or even years down the road that can be misdiagnosed for brain tumors, doesn't seem all that safe to me.
Has anyone thought that this man sounds like he could have had rabies? i think people are too quick to blame drugs. I havent heard of any drug that would make you eat someone's face off. But rabies, that will make you attack someone.
Good point Belle
Choot 'em! You got to choot 'em in da head! Otherwise they will just be "twitchers".
You're funny!
I'm fine with legalizing drugs if they give the death penalty to anyone driving under the influence of them. Why should my family be at risk going to the grocery store just because you morons want to get high?
same could be said for drunk drivers, blow a 1.0 and get executed on the spot. Keep in mind many illegal drugs like pot or even cocaine do little to adversely affect your ability to drive. Certainly not as much as alcohol.
So "bath salts" is not a slang name for some new party drug - the guy really ingested regular ol' "bath salts" and goes all death zombie on a random hobo? Have I miss-read this article? And if it was standard, under your grandmothers bathroom sink "bath salts," how would anyone know to ingest it?
Yes, the National Inquirer is a good research tool.
If the victim was white then this is a hate crime!
This is more like PCP. It's nothing like LSD at all. It's like calling Salvia the new tobacco. God the media is horribly dumb. Confusing every soccer mom and old person who tunes in.
what does that have to do with anything...you had to throw race in there JC....If that the case in 2040 when minority are the Majority I bet you will lose your mind...#idiot....when you are under the influence or infected w/ rabies or whatever he had going on those things don't care about skin color and background plays no role in that.
It is not the zombie apocalypse until the guy he bit rises up as a zombie himself.
He looked confused, or just hungry?
What are they going to do for the guy with no face? I don't see how he can be kept alive.
I feel so bad for that guy. Even if he was using, too, he did not deserve to have his face ripped off. Even with graphs and surgery, he'll never look the same. He would be a great spokesperson for "say no to drugs."
People think this is funny, but you know we have a sick world today and the average Joe has to tolerate you. I say, put your white hat back on and act like a decent law abiding citizen. It's terrible the way these people conduct themselves......but we have to tolerate this behavior .....Don't think so.!!!!
This is how it starts.