'Be careful homie': Man charged in Franklin County overdose death warned victim
A Harrisburg man charged with selling the drugs that killed a Franklin County man sent texts warning him to not do too much and to have Narcan on hand in case he overdosed, according to court documents.
Daquan Woods, 27, was charged this week with drug delivery resulting in death in connection with the fatal overdose of 26-year-old Dakota Rowles in December 2022.
Woods was put in Franklin County Jail on Monday. Magisterial District Judge Kristin Nicklas set bail at $200,000, according to court records.
Rowles appeared under the influence before death
In early April, Pennsylvania State Police released a report stating they were still investigating the death of Rowles, who was found dead at his home in the 7000 block of Lincoln Way East, Fayetteville, on Dec. 2, 2022.
The affidavit of probable cause in Woods' case describes how police connected him to Rowles' death.
The autopsy report showed Rowles, a graduate of Shippensburg Area Senior High School, died as a result of mixed drug toxicity, including fentanyl, heroin and oxycodone, according to the affidavit.
Rowles' roommate found him dead around noon Dec. 2 after a night of playing video games. He told police he noticed Rowles kept dropping the controller and falling asleep, then he was snoring loudly in his room with the light on after they went to bed, according to the affidavit.
A woman who had been with Rowles the evening before told police she took Rowles to Rutters in Fayetteville to meet his "weed guy," according to the affidavit. He went inside the store for a few minutes, then she took him to his home and left after about 40 minutes.
The friend said she never saw the person Rowles met, nor did she see or smell marijuana. However, she said he appeared to be under the influence of something when she left.
Police searching through Rowles' possessions found a clear capsule with powder inside it in a cigarette pack. Another clear capsule that was mostly empty was located in a trash bag. Testing showed that these substances contained fentanyl and heroin.
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Informants help police connect Woods to Rowles
Video surveillance footage from Rutter's, text messages and input from informants helped police identify Woods and connect him to Rowles.
The surveillance footage, captured Dec. 1, 2022, showed Rowles and a male enter Rutter's at 8:38 p.m. and both go into the men's bathroom. They left the store two minutes later without making any purchases. They got into separate vehicles that left the parking lot at 8:43 p.m.
Police observed text messages Rowles exchanged with a particular phone number. Police obtained call records for that number, and the records included a phone number they recognized as belonging to a known subject.
"The person that is known to us was interviewed and related that he knew that Rowles would buy drugs from Daquan Woods. He described Woods and described the vehicle that Woods would either ride in or drive," police wrote in the affidavit. "He was able to identify Woods from the surveillance video at Rutters and was able to identify the vehicle associated with Woods."
Police also interviewed a "close acquaintance" of Woods, who said Woods used fentanyl. She said the substance was contained in baggies or capsules, which he would travel to Maryland to purchase. This person added Woods used her vehicle, and identified her vehicle and Woods in the Rutter's surveillance video.
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Woods warned Rowles to 'be careful'
The affidavit includes text messages between Rowles and Woods over a span of more than five hours. The account begins at 4:19 p.m. with Woods' message that he was on his way "to the city to grab more" and ends with messages about Woods and Rowles agreeing to meet in the bathroom.
The text messages show Rowles and Woods discussing the strength of the substance Rowles wanted to buy.
"It's stronger then [sic] last time so do little lines at a time. Your tolerance is pretty low so you gotta be careful homie," the affidavit shows Woods wrote at 6:59 p.m., followed by:
"Like if you were to do to [sic] much whose [sic] gonna Narcan you? You know what I mean?"
They previously discussed Rowles paying for at least one capsule, plus money for gas. Rowles told Woods he moved two weeks earlier and asked if he minded driving to Chambersburg.
Shortly before 8:30 p.m., Rowles sent messages confirming he sent Woods money via cash transfer app and asking if Woods wanted to meet in the store's bathroom so that he could conceal his activities from the friend who was giving him a ride.
In a text early in their conversation, Rowles said he hoped to get more capsules the next day when he had more money.
Woods due in court next week
Woods is also charged with manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and involuntary manslaughter, according to court records.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in Franklin County Central Court.
Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Harrisburg man charged in overdose death of Dakota Rowles
