CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Two men face drug-related charges after police responded to a welfare check on two unconscious individuals inside a parked vehicle at a local gas station Sunday evening.
Officers with the Chillicothe Police Department were dispatched at approximately 8:19 p.m. on August 23, 2026, to the BP station at 741 Safford Ave. A store employee reported two men appeared passed out in a black 2023 Nissan Rogue parked at pump 9.
Upon arrival, responding officers observed two occupants—later identified as driver Tyler Fuccello and passenger Gerald Poindexter III—drowsy and “on the nod” inside the non-running vehicle. Officers noted that Fuccello exhibited signs of drug impairment, including constricted pupils, bloodshot eyes, erratic movements, and short, choppy speech. Fuccello reportedly told police the pair had been sitting at the pump for about 20 minutes “just eating cereal.”
During the initial interaction, officers spotted a glass “flush vial”—a piece of drug paraphernalia commonly used in intravenous drug administration—in the driver’s side door pocket.
A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded significant drug paraphernalia, including:
- In the driver’s door: A glass flush/dilute vial containing a needle with suspected methamphetamine residue.
- In a black bag belonging to Poindexter: Eight used hypodermic syringes, a glass pipe with residue, a second flush vial, and two plastic baggies containing an unknown substance suspected to be methamphetamine.
- In the center console: Two additional used hypodermic syringes, which Poindexter claimed as his.
According to police reports, both men are currently homeless and living out of the vehicle. With permission from BP staff, Fuccello was permitted to leave his vehicle parked on the lot.
Neither man was jailed at the scene; instead, officers issued both men court summonses in lieu of arrest:
- Tyler Fuccello was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
- Gerald Poindexter III was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a drug abuse instrument.
Both men were assigned a court appearance at Chillicothe Municipal Court on August 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Officers referred both individuals to social service agencies before releasing them.
The seized syringes were safely disposed of in a station sharps container. Police submitted the two baggies of suspected methamphetamine to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) for formal testing. Authorities noted that Poindexter may face additional felony drug possession charges pending the BCI laboratory results.
