Having drugs slipped into your drink is something women hear and are warned about all the time growing up — but never expect to happen to them.
That’s how Lilliana Villalta felt on Sept. 29 when she attended a heavy metal Korn concert at Rogers Place with her mom.
Villata said she was super excited to see the band perform in Edmonton, but now, is still recovering from what happened that night.
Villata had been watching the opening act play for about an hour as she said she sipped on one hard iced tea drink that’s about five per cent alcohol.
She said she was surrounded by people who were touching and grabbing at her.
After about an hour and a half of that, she and her mom went to report the uncomfortable behaviour to security — and that’s when she started to feel off.
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She told security what happened and that she didn’t feel well, adding Rogers Place security accused her of being intoxicated and told her to leave.
That’s when she called her fiancé.
“It’s really kind of blurry from that point,” said Villata.
“As soon as I picked up the phone, I noticed right out away there was something not right — that’s not even drunk, like she’s really not all there, not making sense,” said Tyler Monteith, her fiancé.
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“I just dropped what I was doing and started making my way to her.”
Monteith found his fiancée on the ground three blocks away from the hockey arena in downtown Edmonton.
He got her in his vehicle and took her home — which is where things got even worse.
“She started having difficulties breathing, so I called 911,” said Monteith.
“It was a couple minutes after that she stopped breathing and her heart stopped.”
Paramedics revived the young woman, who spent a week in hospital recovering.
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Villata is a nursing student who likes running and hiking; now she can only take a few steps and her life has come to a halt.
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“Just overnight my life changed, and it’s just so difficult.”
Monteith said he was told by paramedics it could have been a mix of GHB — gamma-hydroxybutyrate, a common date-rape drug — and molly (also known as MDMA ecstasy) that reacted with her medication.
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After cardiology appointments and several tests, they have no answers from doctors.
The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE) warns drinks being spiked is more common than people think.
“These drugs are odourless and tasteless. They can happen (to) anyone at any time, at any place, at any venue, at any event. It is a problem. The police are well aware of it,” said Mary Jane James, CEO at SACE.
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The Edmonton Police Service said it is investigating the incident and encourages anyone who may have a similar experience to report it.
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In a statement, Stu Ballantyne, president and COO of Rogers Place and Ice District, said, “The safety and security of patrons in Rogers Place and ICE District is our top priority and we have developed strong, ongoing operational plans in coordination with our partners at the Edmonton Police Service, security providers and our staff, and implemented industry best practices in event design and operations, security, training, and crowd management to assist in the safety of all fans, patrons and residents in ICE District.
“We encourage this patron to file a police report and we will do everything we can to support an investigation with our EPS partners. We also encourage all event attendees to report any suspicious behaviour they may see.”
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