49-Year-Old Man Dead in Wildwood, He Was Involved in Fight
Wildwood Police have released details surrounding the death of a 49-year-old man that occurred over the weekend.
Police say that at 12:15pm Saturday, they were called to a residence on East Garfield Avenue. When they arrived they found the man unconscious and unresponsive. Life-saving efforts were made by emergency personnel, but it was determined that the man had died.
Police quickly found that prior to collapsing, the man had been involved in a fight with a man who had remained on the scene - Jason Popplewell, 35, of Wildwood.
Popplewell was taken into custody and transported to the Wildwood Police station.
Police say it was there that "Popplewell was found to possess a spring-loaded folding knife as well as distribution quantities of suspected heroin, which he attempted to discard while at police headquarters."
He was charged with the following: "Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose (3rd degree), Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon (4th degree), Obstruction (4th degree), Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance (Heroin) (3rd degree), Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance (Heroin) with the Intent to Distribute (3rd degree), and Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance (Heroin) with the Intent to Distribute within 500-feet of a Certain Public Place (2nd degree)."
Popplewell is being lodged in the Cape May County Jail.
Police say their investigation into the 49-year-old man's death is continuing. They have not released his identity.
SOURCE: Wildwood Police Department