Gates Police have charged a suspected heroin dealer with criminally negligent homicide, saying they believe he sold a dose of heroin that killed a woman found dead in her home last week.
It’s a new legal tactic for police as they target dealers selling extremely potent and frequently lethal heroin.
Police said this morning that the family of 41-year-old Tara Miles agreed to keep her death secret for 48 hours while they tried to find the dealer who sold her the drugs. Their investigation led them to make undercover drug buys on Saturday from Dominic Hobbs of Rochester (top photo), who was then arrested. They also identified Stanley Lydell Grant of Rochester (lower photo) as a dealer who had previously sold drugs to Miles and arrested him as well.
Gates Police say Hobbs is also a suspect in another heroin overdose case in a different town. In that case, first responders were able to save the victim’s life. he’s being held without bail as a predicate felon.
Gates Police Chief James VanBrederode said heroin overdose deaths are now outpacing homicides in the Rochester area, and he called drug dealers “the agents of death.”
Police are also asking anyone with information about Hobbs to come forward by calling 911 or CrimeStoppers.