Man Arrested in Alleged Possession of ‘Date Rape Drug’

Detectives seized more than 200 doses of the so-called “date rape drug” and arrested a 27-year-old Newport Beach man following an investigation into a series of nonfatal overdoses, police said Friday.

Brian David Altneu, 27, was taken into custody Thursday evening on suspicion of possessing the drug for sale. Detectives recovered more than a half gallon of liquid gamma-hydroxy-butyrate contained in two plastic bottles marked “not water, do not drink.” Police said they also found 16 grams of methamphetamine.

The street value of the drug seized from Altneu’s home was estimated at $4,000, McDermott said. Police said Altneu was a major distributor of the “date rape drug” in local nightclubs.

McDermott said the arrest should serve as a warning to party-goers, especially women. “It is a very dangerous substance,” said McDermott, who warned that people should not “take a drink from someone you don’t know unless you see the drink being poured.”

The substance has been the subject of much media attention in recent years as a number of women reported being raped after they were drugged, often at parties or nightclubs. The drug also has been associated with underground “rave” parties, Newport Beach Police Sgt. Mike McDermott said.

The drug is illegal to possess or sell. Odorless and usually clear or slightly yellow in color, the drug can go undetected when mixed with a beverage. When ingested, it acts as a sedative whose effects can last for several hours. Unsuspecting victims often do not have any recollection of events during the period they were sedated, McDermott said.

Most recently, a Los Angeles businessman was accused of picking up women at nightclubs in Hollywood and drugging them before raping them. Three of the women said the computer firm owner used a “date rape drug” to render them unconscious.

Newport Beach police began working to find the local source of the drug following several tips that it was being sold at night clubs in west Newport Beach and several reports of nonfatal overdoses, McDermott said.

He said detectives received tips that Altneu was a key dealer in the area. Altneu is being held at Newport Beach City Jail. His bail has been set at $200,000.

An overdose can lead to severe respiratory arrest. There have been several reports of overdoses in Newport Beach in recent months, but no one has died, McDermott said. Nationally, there have been several deaths and near-fatal cases.

McDermott said some people also take the drug for recreational purposes. In small doses, it can create a sensation similar to being drunk. Recreational users say they prefer it over alcoholic beverages because the drug has no calories and doesn’t cause hangovers, McDermott said.

But because the drug is often produced in makeshift labs, the potency can vary greatly and people are taking a very dangerous gamble when they ingest it, McDermott said. “The next batch you take could be 10 times more potent,” he said.