Police: North Versailles man tried to flush heroin, cocaine, pot at Indiana County hotel

State troopers say a man attempted to “flush” nearly five bricks of heroin, 24 grams of crack cocaine and a small amount of marijuana down the toilet at an Indiana County hotel Monday as they were closing in to serve a search warrant, according to court documents.

But the alleged contraband didn’t make it into the sewage system, and David L. Walker Jr., 35, of North Versailles, was arrested on charges of possession and delivery of a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Around 11 a.m., Trooper Bud Shaw heard someone running and the sound of a toilet flushing inside the Days Inn near Blairsville as he approached, opened the door to the room and shut off the water to the toilet, according to state police spokesman Trooper Clifford Greenfield.

“Hotel maintenance was then summoned to the hotel room for the removal of the toilet. The water was drained and the two bags containing suspected heroin, crack cocaine and marijuana were pulled from the toilet and taken into evidence,” Greenfield said.

Walker was taken into custody. He was arraigned before Homer City District Judge Susanne Steffee and ordered held in the Indiana County Jail on $150,000 bail.

Greenfield said Walker’s arrest was unrelated to a separate incident at the same hotel just off Route 22 in Burrell Township less than two hours earlier.

David Lee McGinnis, 26, of Bolivar, is accused of firing a round from a 9mm handgun during an altercation inside his hotel room, police said. That incident occurred around 9:30 a.m.

Police said they found a shell casing and bullet fragments in the drywall of the hotel room.

McGinnis and another male fled the hotel before police were on scene, officials said, but officers did take a woman into custody on drug possession charges. Greenfield said police are still looking for McGinnis.

Greenfield said a confidential informant tipped Trooper Robert Shaw to “drug activity” taking place inside Walker’s room at the hotel and he acquired a search warrant.

When Shaw entered in the room, Walker was the only person inside and he surrendered without incident, according to Greenfield.

In addition to the suspected drugs, police also seized a digital scale and an undisclosed amount of cash from Walker.

Walker’s preliminary hearing is scheduled July 16.