Police tie four overdoses to Columbia home; two men charged

A Columbia man was arrested Friday after police found heroin and a stolen gun at his home and investigators have tied four overdose deaths to his home.

The Columbia Police Department obtained a search warrant for the residence of Randy Glauser in the 800 block of Woodrow Street. According to previous reports, the home was a known for being used in heroin drug deals.

When police searched the residence on Friday, they found 12 small baggies of heroin as well as scales and other drug paraphernalia. They also found a handgun that had been reported stolen out of University City.

Police also arrested 47-year-old Farooq Saalik earlier this month in connection to drug activity at the home. Online court records show Saalik posted a $6,500 bond shortly after his arrest, but before charges were filed.

Glauser was charged with delivery of a controlled substance, receiving stolen property and unlawful use of a weapon. He’s being held in Boone County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

According to court documents, police had been called the residence on Woodrow multiple times over the past year, typically for drug-related calls. Police also received reports from at least four reliable sources that heroin and meth were being sold at Glauser’s residence.

Ryan Nash has lived near Glauser for two years. Nash said the short street on the north end of the Benton-Stephens neighborhood has often been quiet, but Glauser’s home seemed to host numerous different people.

“Everyone’s been kind enough, but definitely in hard situations, where they don’t have cars, don’t have phones and are transitioning through the house,” Nash said.

In August 2017 and April 2018, police responded to overdoses at the residence. Police found someone dead in a bedroom in the home during the August incident, while officers found the overdose victim on the porch of Glauser’s home in April.

A probable cause statement also links the pair of men to two other overdoses. Officers at a Probation & Parole office had to give a man Narcan, the overdose-reversing drug, on Aug. 29. Columbia police officers followed up with the man, who said he bought heroin from Saalik at the Woodrow St. house. The girlfriend of a man that died on Sept. 3 on Proctor Drive told police officers that her boyfriend had identified Glauser’s house as a place he used to buy heroin.

A probable cause statement said Glauser admitted to a heroin addiction, and had a heroin dealer living with him earlier this year. He allegedly told investigators he had “gotten really good” at stopping people from going too far with their heroin use, and preferred being around his friends when they used it so “I can supervise them.”

Nash said Glauser was typically quiet, seen in the neighborhood riding his bike or walking his dogs.

“More often than not, with everyone coming through, he’s the one keeping things under control, keep things quiet, makes sure that whoever is living in the house is being fairly respectful to the neighbors,” Nash said. “He did a good job of keeping things under wraps, I guess.”

Police first arrested Saalik on Sept. 6 after he left the Woodrow St. house and made several stops. Investigators believed they were related to drug sales, and when they stopped Saalik, they found 0.8 grams of heroin and $500.

Later that month, police got a warrant for Saalik’s cell phone. Officers said they found dozens of conversations that appeared to relate to drug sales, and several people asking about meeting at “Randy’s.”

The Columbia Fire Department has seen an increase in its use of Narcan this year. So far in 2018, firefighters have used the drug 25 times. In all of 2017, CFD used Narcan 22 times.