The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner found only marijuana in the body of
the man who was fatally shot while chewing a homeless man's face over
Memorial Day weekend.The medical examiner's office said on Wednesday that 31-year-old Rudy Eugene's toxicology was complete.
"The department's toxicology laboratory has identified the active components
of marijuana," the medical examiner said in a statement. "The
laboratory has tested for but not detected any other street drugs,
alcohol or prescription drugs, or any adulterants found in street
drugs."The department also ruled out common drugs found in the
street drugs called bath salts, which authorities had initially
speculated were the cause of the brutal attack on Ronald Poppo.
He has been recovering at Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center since the May 26 attack along the MacArthur Causeway.
Poppo was rushed to the hospital after he was attacked by Eugene, who tore
off and chewed most of the 65-year-old's face, authorities said. He also
suffered trauma to his brain, doctors said.Poppo also had a couple puncture wounds in his left chest area.
About 50 percent of his face, including his forehead and cheek, was affected
and he has an infection, brain injury and a puncture wound to his chest.Eugene
was fatally shot by an officer after he refused to stop the savage
attack on Poppo, police said. Witnesses said a naked Eugene was throwing
his clothes into traffic and swinging from a light pole shortly before
the attack.The medical examiner's department also got assistance
from an outside forensic toxicology lab, which confirmed that there were
no bath salts, synthetic marijuana or LSD in Eugene's system."Within
the limits of current technology by both laboratories, marijuana is the
only drug identified in the body of Mr. Rudy Eugene," the statement
said.The attack sparked a statewide crackdown on synthetic drugs
and bath salts, with many South Florida counties and cities moving
forward with ordinances to ban and restrict their sale.Also on
Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi held a
ceremonial signing of House Bill 1175, which outlaws more than 90 new
forms of synthetic drugs.