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Ex-wife & new boyfriend face life for giving heroin to Grand Rapids man

Posted at 2:07 PM, Aug 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-12 14:07:15-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A woman and her new boyfriend are facing the possibility of life behind bars after the Sheriff’s Department says the two delivered heroin to the woman’s ex-husband and then waited to call 911 after he began showing signs of an overdose.

Joshua Price (Courtesy Facebook)

Joshua Price (Courtesy Facebook)

Jordan Vandenbosch and Bonnie Price are set to be arraigned today on charges of ‘Delivery of a Controlled Substance Causing Death’- a charge carrying a possible life sentence- as well as being charged with ‘Tampering of Evidence’.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Department responded on May 2nd to the 6900 block of 17 Mile Road on report of a 35-year-old man not breathing.  Mr. Vandenbosch and Mrs. Price had called 911 and were given CPR instructions to perform while waiting for police and paramedics to respond.

Jordan Vandenbosch (Courtesy MI Dept of Corrections)

Jordan Vandenbosch (Courtesy MI Dept of Corrections)

Records show that the two told the dispatch operator they were speaking to that Mr Price’s heartbeat returned at some point during the 911 call.  When police arrived one of the defendants was reportedly in the process of performing CPR.

Bonnie Price (Courtesy Kent Co Sheriff's Dept)

Bonnie Price (Courtesy Kent Co Sheriff’s Dept)

Joshua Price was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The Sheriff’s investigation on scene determined that the victim’s ex wife and her current boyfriend had actually participated in the delivery of heroin to Mr Price.  It also reportedly showed that Mr. Vandenbosch and Mrs. Price waited almost 6 hours to call 911 after they noticed Joshua Price experiencing labored breathing and other signs of an opiate overdose.  The Sheriff’s Department says it appears the two spent a good amount of time trying to “get help” for Mr. Price from some of their personal acquaintances before ever calling 911.

Evidence was also found that Deputies say suggests there were intentional efforts on both defendant’s parts to minimize the appearance of their own involvement in the illegal activity that lead to Mr Price’s death. The Sheriff’s Department says this is where the ‘Tampering’ charge comes into play.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Department  reminds people that calling 911 as soon as possible after noticing any signs of opiate overdose is always going to be better in the long run- It may be a life or death situation, where Narcan can mean someone lives through an overdose.  All Kent County Deputies are trained to properly administer the drug that effectively blocks the brain’s opioid receptors, basically reversing the drug’s effects on the body.

The charges that could potentially come from possessing opiates or paraphernalia are going to be significantly less than any charges that come from allowing someone to overdose (and potentially die) in your company.