Sterling mother's cause of death is drug abuse

The preliminary cause of death for a woman who died hours after giving birth in a Sterling home is drug abuse.

Dr. Amy Jolliff, the Wayne County coroner, said the preliminary findings indicate Kimberly Karosy, 23, who was staying at a home on Second Street, died of a drug overdose.

Jolliff confirmed there were no signs of trauma or that she was attacked.

And while there is no official report yet, she said her death has not been ruled a homicide.

Jolliff said it is unknown which drug led to her death, but she said the 51-year-old man who reported Karosy was unresponsive at the home told investigators she had used a combination of heroin and methamphetamines before her death.

She was pronounced dead at Wooster Community Hospital at 8:02 p.m. Saturday.

The coroner said the cause of death of the newborn Karosy gave birth to prematurely at the home hours before her own demise is still undetermined.

She said if Karosy's alleged drug use was as prevalent as reported to investigators, it "certainly can affect the child."

There were no signs of trauma on the newborn, who was wrapped in a towel, placed in a cardboard box and set in a bathtub at the home.

The man who reported Karosy's death reported news of the baby to investigators, who later discovered the child as he described.

Wayne County Sheriff's Capt. Doug Hunter said the individuals involved in the case and the home are familiar to law enforcement, as authorities assisted the Medway Drug Enforcement Agency during a search warrant there in March.

Don Hall, director of Medway, confirmed a search warrant was executed at the home in March on meth-related information a Cleveland-area man -- Terrence Richissin, 33, last known address in Strongsville -- was cooking meth at the home. He was arrested after fleeing from law enforcement who were making an arrest on a warrant from Cuyahoga County relating to a drug possession charge.

And Karosy, who had a previous address listing for North Royalton, had an open case in Wayne County Municipal Court for obstructing official business. Court documents show Karosy was pulled over for a traffic stop. And despite verbally agreeing to help Medway locate Richissin days before the warrant was executed at the Second Street home, she was seen texting him by law enforcement.

A bench trial was scheduled for Aug. 10 in Karosy's case.

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