Seal of the office of Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni (photo courtesy of the Hampden County District Attorney’s office)
WESTFIELD–Two people face manslaughter and other charges related to the February 2015 overdose death of Rebekah Swotchak.
The Office of Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni announced yesterday the indictments of Daryn Sampson, 33, and Gilka Rolon-Arroyo, 32, both of Westfield, on charges of manslaughter, along with several unlawful possession and distribution of class A and B substances. The charges stem from the overdose death of Swotchak, who the attorney’s office reports received illicit drugs from Sampson and Rolon-Arroyo.
Westfield Police initially investigated Sampson and Rolon-Arroyo related to drug distribution. Police executed a search warrant on Feb. 9, 2015, on the dwelling that both Sampson and Rolon-Arroyo resided and reportedly found 50 bags of heroin.
Police initially arrested both and charged them with drug possession and distribution charges.
Then, on Feb. 10, 2015, police were called to an unattended death in the same building as the search warrant. Police found Swotchak, 31, dead of a suspected drug overdose. The chief medical examiner’s office later confirmed the cause of death as an illicit drug overdose.
Through an investigation, police found that Sampson and Rolon-Arroyo were reportedly the drug dealers for Swotchak.
Sampson has been arraigned, is currently in custody and being held in lieu of $50,000 cash bail. District Attorney’s office had no word on Rolon-Arroyo.
