A Chesterton resident was arrested Wednesday on a charge of possession of a controlled substance after being treated for a heroin overdose, Chesterton Police said.

According to police, at 10:09 p.m. officers were dispatched to the residence of Brooke Mieczenkowski, 18, at 328 S. 17th St., in response to a report of a barely conscious female subject. On their arrival, officers observed a woman later identified as Mieczenkowski—“a known heroin user,” police said—being treated by Chesterton firefighters as she lay unbreathing on the ground next to vehicle at the end of the driveway.

Firefighters used an AED and chest compressions until the arrival of EMS personnel, who administered an injection of Narcan, a drug neutralizer, police said. Mieczenkowski then regained consciousness and was transported to Porter Valparaiso Hospital Campus for further treatment, police said.

Meanwhile, police said, an officer located on the ground between Mieczenkowski and the vehicle a small red zip lock bag containing a white powder substance which a witness advised had fallen when Mieczenkowski had lost consciousness. That substance subsequently field-tested positive for the presence of heroin, police said.

On her discharge from Porter hospital, police said, Mieczenkowski was placed under arrest on a charge of possession of a controlled substance and transported to Porter County Jail. Mieczenkowski advised police en route that she had been offered the substance free of charge by a friend and had decided to use it because she had run out of her medication.

Posted 9/18/2008