Peters man charged for overdose death of pregnant woman
A Peters Township man provided the drugs that killed his pregnant girlfriend in June, police say.
Police charged Ronald Alexander Massari Jr., 28, of Quail Run Road, with drug delivery resulting in death, possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was arraigned Thursday morning before District Judge Jesse Pettit.
According to the criminal complaint, Vanesa Jeric, Massari’s girlfriend, overdosed June 16 and was transported to Canonsburg hospital. Tests at the hospital showed Jeric was in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Two days later, Jeric died at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. An autopsy showed she died of a combination of heroin and fentanyl. There was also morphine in her system, the autopsy said.
Peters Township police arrested Massari the day after Jeric overdosed for a probation violation. In his front jeans pocket, police said they found heroin, fentanyl and morphine.
While police transported him to Washington County jail, Massari told police he and Jeric had bought the drugs. Police said Massari told officers he knew it was fentanyl from how it looked.
Jeric’s mother told police Massari said he bought the heroin and gave it to Jeric.
Jeric remains incarcerated in Washington County jail.
Since his arrest, Massari has had several phone calls with family and friends, which were recorded by the jail’s phone system.
In these calls, Massari blamed Jeric for her overdose, saying they were going to flush the heroin down the toilet, but she wanted more.
Some who spoke with him urged him to give police information about his drug dealer, but Massari expressed concern it would be incriminating for himself.
In one phone call, Jeric spoke with his mother. Police said his mother, “seemed to be rehearsing a story for Massari to follow wherein Jeric obtained the heroin from the bar she worked and took the heroin without anyone knowing.”
“She goes on to tell him that she called every move, and that she told him he could kill (Jeric),” the complaint states.
Police also searched Massari’s cellphone. On June 17, there were several internet searches about what the consequences are for being with someone when they die from opioids.
Massari is scheduled to appear before Pettit for his preliminary hearing at 10 a.m. Oct. 24.