The death of a West Hills Regional Police Officer was due to an overdose of drugs taken from the department’s evidence locker, according to Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer.
Sgt. Michael Beblar. 40, died on June 13th. County Coroner Jeff Lees said EMS was called to a home in Westmont for a report of a cardiac arrest and took Beblar to Conemaugh Medical Center on June 11th. Lees said Beblar was in ICU and died two days later.
A toxicology report received earlier this week determined he died from mixed drug toxicity which included fentanyl, hydrocodone and xylazine. His death was ruled accidental.
Neugebauer said a search of Beblar’s personal effects revealed drugs that were taken from West Hills’ evidence storage.
He said Cambria County detectives were sent to the department and they found evidence was “clearly tampered with.” He said at that time, per protocol, the Pennsylvania State Police were called in to perform an audit.
“We found missing, tampered or destroyed bits of evidence at the West Hills Regional Police Department,”
Neugebauer said 9 active cases have evidence missing or were tampered with. He added that it doesn’t appear Beblar had drugs that he obtained from other sources outside the police department.
He also said he doesn’t expect any further criminal action in this case.
