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CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Recent Prosper graduates recall chaos, sickness at senior lock-in: "Dropping like flies"
Nick Wall vividly recalls the night when attendees at a Prosper senior celebration event became sick after ingesting THC-infused gummies. "It was like they were just dropping like flies," Wall told CBS News Texas. Wall joined fellow graduates Carter Gerhardt and Adam Shin in remembering the chaotic night, which left multiple students hospitalized and two classmates facing felony drug charges. Witnesses describe sudden illness CBS News Texas Wall, Gerhardt and Shin described the event as alarming and disorienting, recalling how students suddenly began collapsing or becoming violently ill. "Whenever I saw it happen, I was just a little bit confused," Gerhardt said. "I was like, 'What's going on?' I just saw a ton of people just dropping." "Some girl went up to the police officer — you could tell she was really sick," Wall said. "She was throwing up and asked the officer to call her parents. And then like more people started just getting sick." Police confirm hospitalizations, arrests According to Prosper police, the incident occurred during Prosper's Graduation Celebration — a senior lock-in event attended by students from all three district high schools. Police confirmed that at least seven students were transported to the hospital from the May event with symptoms consistent with a drug overdose. Two students — 17-year-old Kyle Muchineuta of Walnut Grove High School and 18-year-old Cesar Omana of Rock Hill High School — were arrested and charged with second-degree felonies for the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. Gummies allegedly purchased, shared According to arrest records, Omana allegedly purchased a package of THC-infused gummies from A&A Smoke Shop in Plano using money collected from other students. Investigators believe both Omana and Muchineuta distributed the gummies at the event. Shin, who witnessed the distribution, said he was offered the gummies but declined. "I saw most people get them at the party," Shin said, "and they asked me, you know, do you want to use this? And my mom told me, 'Don't do drugs.' So I never, ever." Smoke shop not contacted The owner of A&A Smoke Shop told CBS News Texas that neither police nor investigators have contacted him or requested surveillance footage related to the incident. Attorney defends accused student Omana's attorney, Jeremy Rosenthal, issued a statement on Friday defending his client: "Nobody feels worse about people getting sick than we do," Rosenthal said. "That said, I don't understand how purchasing something which appears to be perfectly legal, in packaging indicating it's perfectly safe, and then providing it to others is a crime at all — much less one worthy of publicly destroying the life of an 18-year-old and calling him a drug dealer." Reflection and ongoing investigation Reflecting on the night, Gerhardt said, "I think it was just a situation where a few people ruin it for everybody." As of Friday, Prosper police declined to comment on whether they have contacted A&A Smoke Shop, citing the ongoing investigation. Toxicology reports for the hospitalized students are expected as early as next week.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Attorney questions felony charges after THC gummies sickened Prosper graduation partygoers
An attorney representing one of two teens accused of distributing locally purchased THC-infused gummies at a Prosper graduation party is questioning why the teens are facing drug-related charges. Cesar Omana, 18, of Frisco, and Kyle Muchineuta, 17, of Prosper, are charged with second-degree felonies for the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. According to Prosper police, the charges stem from an incident in which at least seven party attendees experienced overdose-like symptoms and were hospitalized after consuming gummies allegedly supplied by Omana and Muchineuta. Defense attorney questions legality "Nobody feels worse about people getting sick than we do," said attorney Jeremy Rosenthal, who is representing Omana. "That said, I don't understand how purchasing something which appears to be perfectly legal, in packaging indicating it's perfectly safe, and then providing it to others is a crime at all — much less one worthy of publicly destroying the life of an 18-year-old and calling him a drug dealer." Town declines to comment The town of Prosper, speaking for its police department, declined to comment. "Due to this being an ongoing investigation, the Prosper Police Department has no additional details to share at this time," a town spokesperson said in a statement. "Once we have concluded our investigation, we will provide an update." Court documents reveal details Rosenthal released his statement on behalf of Omana on Friday, a day after newly obtained court documents shed more light on what transpired before the Prosper graduation party attendees were transported to the hospital. Records from the school's graduation program show that Omana attended Rock Hill High School, while Muchineuta was a student at Walnut Grove High School. Police say multiple attendees became ill during the Prosper Graduation Celebration and were taken to the hospital. The event was scheduled from 11 p.m. on Friday, May 16, to 3 a.m. on Saturday, May 17. Gummies purchased in Plano According to arrest warrants, the two teens purchased the THC-infused gummies at A&A Smoke Shop, located at 3620 State Highway 121 in Plano. The documents indicate that victims paid Omana via a cash app for the edibles, which were then distributed to attendees by Omana and Muchineuta. Nine known victims ingested the gummies, with seven requiring hospital transport after showing overdose-like symptoms, police records show. Smoke shop founder reacts The smoke shop's founder was adamant about not selling THC-infused products to underage patrons. "If there was any breach of this policy, I will personally take full responsibility to investigate and correct it immediately," said Allan Haji, founder and owner of A&A Smoke Shop, in a statement. "We do not—and will not—tolerate any action that jeopardizes the integrity of our business or the safety of our community." Haji emphasized that his business has a "zero-tolerance policy when it comes to underage sales." "We do not sell to minors. Period," he said. "This isn't just a guideline—it's a non-negotiable rule that we enforce with the utmost seriousness. Every team member is trained and held accountable to verify IDs without exception." Haji also noted that no police officers have contacted him or requested purchase records from his business. Nonprofit hosted the celebration According to its website, the event is organized by a nonprofit at 3R's Ranch in Prosper and is not affiliated with the school district. The event, open to seniors from all three Prosper high schools, is traditionally alcohol- and drug-free, with activities including games, dancing, music, and food. Prosper police responded to the ranch around 2:15 a.m. on Saturday, May 17. In a statement, the town said, "Paramedics from Prosper, Celina, and Frisco treated multiple individuals experiencing medical distress and transported eight patients to local hospitals." Safety concerns raised by nonprofit "It's shocking. It's scary. And everybody has the same questions: How did this happen?" said Aileen Blachowski, president of Texas Education 9-1-1, a nonprofit focused on student safety in public schools. Blachowski said students who attended the event told her that nearly 1,000 seniors from all three high schools were at the graduation celebration, supervised by only 50 volunteers and a few officers. "This was grad night. I mean, you're talking about 17- and 18-year-old kids," she said. "You were going to put hundreds of those kids in one place with 50 volunteers. Totally unsafe." School district addresses incident Following the celebration, Prosper ISD informed senior parents about the situation, emphasizing that the event was organized by Graduation Celebration, not the district, and did not take place on district property. "We wanted to relay information about the incident at Graduation Celebration," Prosper ISD said. "While we cannot provide specific details, several young adults experienced medical emergencies and required transport from the event. The Town of Prosper responded quickly, and Graduation Celebration ended early. All affected young adults are receiving appropriate medical care." On Thursday, Prosper ISD declined to provide further comments regarding the arrest warrants. Instead, they deferred any decisions about next year's event to the Graduation Celebration committee. More updates to come CBS News Texas will provide additional updates as new information becomes available.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Teens supplied THC-infused gummies before Prosper graduation party overdoses, arrest warrants show
Newly obtained arrest warrants reveal that two teens accused of drug-related charges purchased and distributed THC-infused edible gummies from a Plano smoke shop, leading to overdoses of at least seven attendees at a Prosper graduation party. CBS News Texas obtained the documents from the Prosper Police Department, shedding light on previously unreleased details. Felony charges for two teens Cesar Omana, 18, of Frisco Prosper Police Department Kyle Muchineuta, 17, of Prosper, and Cesar Omana, 18, of Frisco, face second-degree felony charges for the manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance, according to Prosper police. Records from the school's graduation program show that Omana attended Rock Hill High School, while Muchineuta was a student at Walnut Grove High School. Graduation party turned emergency Kyle Muchineuta, 17, of Prosper Prosper Police Department Police said multiple attendees became sick at the event, known as the Prosper Graduation Celebration. It was scheduled to take place from 11 p.m. on Friday, May 16, to 3 a.m. on Saturday, May 17. According to arrest warrants, the two teens purchased the THC-infused gummies at A&A Smoke Shop, located at 3620 State Highway 121 in Plano. The documents indicate that victims paid Omana via a cash app for the edibles, which were then distributed to attendees by Omana and Muchineuta. Nine known victims ingested the gummies, with seven requiring hospital transport after showing overdose-like symptoms, police records show. Nonprofit hosted the celebration According to its website, the event is organized by a nonprofit at 3R's Ranch in Prosper and is not affiliated with the school district. The event, open to seniors from all three Prosper high schools, is traditionally alcohol- and drug-free, with activities including games, dancing, music, and food. Prosper police responded to the ranch around 2:15 a.m. on Saturday, May 17. In a statement, the town said, "Paramedics from Prosper, Celina, and Frisco treated multiple individuals experiencing medical distress and transported eight patients to local hospitals." School district addresses incident Following the celebration, Prosper ISD informed senior parents about the situation, emphasizing that the event was organized by Graduation Celebration, not the district, and did not take place on district property. "We wanted to relay information about the incident at Graduation Celebration," Prosper ISD said. "While we cannot provide specific details, several young adults experienced medical emergencies and required transport from the event. The Town of Prosper responded quickly, and Graduation Celebration ended early. All affected young adults are receiving appropriate medical care." On Thursday, Prosper ISD declined to provide further comments regarding the arrest warrants. Instead, they deferred any decisions about next year's event to the graduation celebration committee. CBS News Texas will provide additional updates as new information becomes available.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 arrested in connection with Prosper graduation party incident that left 8 hospitalized
The Brief Two individuals have been arrested in connection with a graduation party incident where eight Prosper ISD students were hospitalized. The suspects, Kyle Muchineuta (17) and Cesar Omana (18), face charges of Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance. The conditions of the hospitalized students and the specific substances involved have not been released. PROSPER, Texas - The Prosper Police Department today announced the arrests of two individuals connected to an incident at an overnight graduation party, where eight Prosper ISD students required medical attention and were transported to the hospital. Prosper Detectives developed leads identifying two suspects believed to be responsible for the medical emergencies that took place in the 1600 block of Coit Road in the early morning hours on May 17. The suspects, identified as Kyle Muchineuta, 17 years old, of Prosper, and Cesar Omana, 18 years old, of Frisco, were taken into custody without incident and transported to the Collin County Jail for booking. On May 21, Prosper police detectives secured arrest warrants for Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance under Texas Health and Safety Code Sec. 481.113, a first-degree felony. The backstory According to a spokesperson for the town of Prosper, police and paramedics were called to the scene of the overnight graduation party at 2:25 a.m. on Saturday. "Paramedics from Prosper, Celina, and Frisco treated multiple individuals experiencing medical distress and transported eight patients to local hospitals. The Prosper Police Department is conducting an ongoing investigation into the matter," said Prosper Director of Communications Todd Rice. The lock-in ended early, officials said. What's next Prosper officials did not release any details about the conditions of the hospitalized students or the types of drugs involved. This remains an ongoing investigation. The Source The information in this story comes from statements from the spokesperson for the town of Prosper, Prosper ISD, and previous FOX 4 reporting.
