A Scary Story About Bath Salts…

Miami news reporters heard a shocking report of a man eating another man’s face on Saturday, June 26, 2012. The story was confirmed and quickly went to all national venues. Rudy Eugene, a quiet Miami man of 31, attacked a homeless on a sunny afternoon along a highway. Eugene, who reportedly only smoked marijuana, started to display erratic behavior that ended in him attacking Ronald Poppo, 65.

No Warning Signs that an Attack was Imminent

The story was pieced together from friends, family members, and a few surveillance videos. The last thing Eugene said to a friend Bobby Chery on the Thursday night before the accident was that he “wanted to get his life right and that he wanted to get closer to God…and he wanted to stop smoking pot,” reports The Huffington Post. What followed was a bizarre and gruesome string of events that no one is able to fully understand yet.

Eugene left his home on Saturday after rifling through his own and his girlfriend’s clothes, kissing his girlfriend goodbye and headed towards South Beach in his purple Chevy, the Miami Herald reports. His girlfriend said that he called her and said his truck broke and that he would be home a little late. That was the last his girlfriend ever heard from him.

After Eugene left his car, he began to walk down the highway taking off pieces of clothing as he went. He continued until he was completely naked. Eugene came across a homeless man, Poppo living under a causeway. He attacked Poppo punching him repeatedly in the face until the man fell unconscious.

He then began to eat the man’s face.

By the time police arrived, Eugene had eaten approximately 80% of Poppo’s face, down to the bone. Police repeatedly asked him to stop, where Euguene responded by growling at the authorities, says the New York Daily News. Police officer Jose Rivera drew his gun and shot him. Eugene persisted in his behavior and was shot several more times before succumbing to his wounds. He died on the scene.

Amphetamine May Have Been Ingested by the Attacker

What could cause such behavior? Although Euguene has a history of marijuana charges and some simple battery, the violence that occurred on that sunny Saturday is extremely rare. Authorities are still waiting on toxicology reports, but many believe that the attacker was under the influence of a powerful drug called “Bath Salts.”

This type of drug isn’t the same kind a person would use to make bath water smell fragrant. Rather it’s a type of amphetamine drug similar to methlenedioxyprovalerone (MDPV). It comes in a powdered form which is inhaled or injected.

Effects of taking Bath Salts

Effects of using Bath Salts cause feelings of euphoria, alertness, and hallucinations. Sweating and high blood pressure are also a side effect. Fox 31 News reports that the substance is highly addictive and dangerous.

Bath Salts are considered a new drug, cropping up in 2009 and widely used among young adults. Also known as Cloud Nine, energy-1, and Purple Wave, this drug has serious psychotic effects on the brain when ingested.

Friends and family were appalled by Eugene’s behavior. Many, including his mother and girlfriend don’t believe he did it of his own accord. They think it could be possible that he was slipped a drug which caused him to behave so bizarrely. Andrew Chow reports in Reuters that Bath Salts have been banned in Florida, along with 38 other states.

If the toxicology reports reveal that Eugene had ingested Bath Salts, a new wave of laws and increased awareness of this “designer drug” will surely sweep the nation. Let’s hope this drug doesn’t turn the next generation into cannibals. A truly horrifying way to go.