The names of all the victims in this story will remain anonymous to protect their safety and privacy. All of these occurrences have been verified and occurred on different nights within the past few months. 

One victim was going to some bars in Cotati with friends. First, they went to Spancky’s, where they proceeded to get a Vodka Red Bull. Then, they crossed the street to 8-Ball where they ordered a Vodka Cranberry. They remember feeling a little sick after sipping their second drink. Their friends left them alone for less than 5 minutes, but didn’t see them talking to anyone. They can’t remember how they got home, but recalled throwing up all morning and night.

A secondary victim arrived at 8 Ball in Cotati early trying to beat the college rush on a Thursday night. A feeling of nervousness rushed through because they hadn’t been out since the pandemic and heard claims that someone they knew was getting their drink spiked or roofied. They thought to themself, “I hope this doesn’t happen to me tonight,” reminding themselves to be careful. Throughout the night, they got only one drink from the bartender and were cautious not to leave it unattended or with a stranger. Immediately, they didn’t feel okay. They were barely able to stand up and all over the place. When they noticed their actions, a friend took them to make sure they were safe. They recalled their experience as freaky, “I don’t get intoxicated that quickly ever, and I haven’t been so messed up I couldn’t stand before. I felt pretty ill for a few days.” 

The second victim never reported this experience because they made home safely, and that’s what mattered. Now, they wished they did, but they assumed the case wouldn’t get anywhere, so they just moved on from it. 

A third victim was alone at the 8-Ball in Cotati when they were drugged. All they remember from the night is having one corona while another man bought them a shot of tequila. The night got blurry following that drink. The victim said, “Somehow, I ended up wandering the streets of Cotati all alone, and I had like six to seven ubers I had gotten, and three of the addresses were ones I had never ever seen, but somehow I made it home safe.”  They want to remind people to always be careful and if you ever let someone buy you a drink make sure to get it straight from the bartender while keeping your eye on it at all times.  

A fourth victim had recently turned 21 and was going ‘out’ for the first time to a local bar to celebrate another friend’s birthday. This victim also had concerns ringing in the back of their mind about something bad happening, like the second victim. However, these concerns were easy to write off because the victim was in a group of six, with four guys and two girls. 

The night started for this victim at dinner in Petaluma, where they had one drink. Then, they walked as a group to Jamison’s Roaring Donkey. The victim and their partner didn’t want to stay out late, so they only got one drink at the Donkey, but after consuming only one-third of it, reality started to blur. “I know my tolerance, I’ve never blacked out, but on this night I had just a couple of drinks before I quickly got sloppy,” the victim said. 

After a few minutes, they couldn’t remember the name of the bar, couldn’t walk a straight line, and their pupils were dilated. Their partner decided to take them home, and on the way they threw up all over themself. After about 45 minutes, they were fully “blacked-out” and proceeded to throw up for the next five to six hours. “The next thing I thought about was how it might’ve happened to another girl. My partner got me home safe, maybe someone else wasn’t so lucky. It’s something I’ve thought about every night since.“ They are very grateful that their partner was by their side because without them they don’t think they would’ve made it out okay, and it is a hard reality to face. 

This victim’s partner is the reason they made it home okay. They also shared their perspective of that night with the STAR. The partner described the experience as traumatic. The partner supported the victim throughout the night, monitoring for symptoms of overdose as they tried to formulate a plan. They acknowledge that taking the victim to the hospital would ultimately be expensive and traumatizing for everyone. “I decided that, if they began to deteriorate any further than just throwing up and forgetfulness, I would call an ambulance. Thankfully, they stayed stable through the night,” the partner said. 

They want to remind everyone that the moment something feels off or suspicious, get yourself and anyone you came with out of there because in the end it’s better to miss an experience than risk something serious. “Also, another important word of advice for caring for someone who is potentially a victim of drugging, make sure they lay on their side no matter what or how much they complain, the risk of suffocation from throwing up while on your back is very high” stated the victim’s partner. The fourth victim did report the crime they were victim of and it is still an open case. 

A fifth victim decided to do what they thought was the safer thing than going out, they attended a party with friends. At the party, someone the victim’s best friend said they trusted at the time asked if they wanted to smoke. They had agreed, assumed they were consenting to smoking weed out of a two-foot bong. 

After taking that first hit, something already felt wrong. The victim took a sip of water, but it ended up being beer — which made it worse. They recalled their vision shaking and their head feeling numb. They decided to sit down, feeling as if their body was sinking into the couch. “I ended up in a state of unconsciousness for a few hours, where I was tripping in a very realistic dream. I couldn’t tell the difference between reality and my trip, but I felt like I should just go into the trip more because it felt a lot better than my going insane knowing I was tripping” said the victim. 

People getting their drinks spiked with drugs is nothing new to Sonoma county. Since April, multiple local publications have been reporting on the multiple accounts of druggings taking place at Duke’s Spirited Cocktails in Healdsburg. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, as of Aug. 31, The former Mayor of Windsor, Dominic Foppoli, has had 14 sexual assault or misconduct accusations against him. Many of these victims claim Foppoli used “date rape” drugs on them. In 2012, as 14-year-old Santa Rosa girl died of overdose from Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHP), a drug part of the “date rape” class. 

To prevent your drink from being spiked, Sonoma State’s Police Chief Nader Oweis advises students to place a lid on their drinks (if they can), never leave any drinks unattended, don’t accept drinks from strangers, and make sure students go out with a group of people they trust. Most importantly, be aware of your surroundings.

If you suspect that you or someone you know has been drugged, report it to the establishment’s manager and police. Get tested as soon as possible, because depending on what you were drugged with, it can leave your system in as little as eight hours. Also, always have someone you trust to ensure you’re maintaining your breathing and your condition isn’t getting worse. Finally, Oweis encourages students to utilize the resources available on campus such as Counseling and Psychological services (CAPS), the health center, and campus police department.