Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Woman Found Dead In East Harlem Park, Friend Blames K2
By
Emma Whitford
Published Oct 9, 2015
Modified Oct 9, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Emma Whitford
Published Oct 9, 2015
Modified Oct 9, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A 29-year-old woman died in Harlem River Park in East Harlem early Thursday morning, after a night reportedly spent drinking and smoking K2—a chemical-laced potpourri, also known as synthetic marijuana. The drug has been widely available in the area for some time now.
The combination of high-profile raids at area bodegas and a heightened NYPD presence on the blocks surrounding East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue appears to have somewhat curtailed local sales of K2, which has been known to cause seizures and hallucinations. Governor Cuomo's office recently stated that the drug, which often sells for as little as $2 a packet, caused more than 1,900 hospitalizations in New York state between April and June of this year.
According to an NYPD spokeswoman, officers responded to Harlem River Park near the corner of East 129th Street and Lexington around 7:00 a.m. on Thursday. The 29-year-old female victim was found unconscious and unresponsive, and was pronounced dead on the scene.
The News reports that a friend of the victim alerted officers near the park, and told them that the victim had been up throughout the night drinking and smoking K2. She had vomited, and was not breathing. According to the tabloid, a preliminary police report cited K2 as the cause of death. However, reached by phone, a spokeswoman for the department could not confirm this, and deferred to the Medical Examiner's office. That office's assessment of the cause of death is reportedly inconclusive.
We have reached out to the ME's office for comment, and will update with any additional information.
A new piece of City Council legislation would prohibit the manufacture or sale of K2, with violators facing up to $5,000 in fines, a year in jail or both.
Tagged
doa
east harlem
k2
spice
synthetic weed
Emma Whitford
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council takes key step toward Mamdani's promised Department of Community Safety
Lawmakers on Friday debate a bill that would create the new department.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 30, 2026 at 7:30 a.m. ET
NY progressives have found a way to vote for Hochul, with an asterisk
Progressives are following Mayor Mamdani’s lead and voting for Gov. Hochul, a moderate Democrat, on the Working Families Party ballot line.
By
Walter Wuthmann
News
NY progressives have found a way to vote for Hochul, with an asterisk
Progressives are following Mayor Mamdani’s lead and voting for Gov. Hochul, a moderate Democrat, on the Working Families Party ballot line.
By
Walter Wuthmann
Can you eat the mushrooms growing out of your bathroom ceiling?
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bronx community hosts vigil for boy killed in e-bike fire
By
Carol Chen
8 people charged in $7M SNAP benefit fraud scheme
By
Giulia Heyward
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .