Billerica woman says she was drugged at Boston concert
Police in both jurisdictions gave conflicting instructions on where to file the report.
By Jonathan Hoffmann ·
Andrea Butler woke up on Thursday morning feeling foggy and seeing things that were not there. The Billerica resident believes someone put a drug in her drink during a Wednesday night concert at the House of Blues in Boston.
Butler attended the show with five friends. She stated she consumed only one drink at the venue's bar. Upon leaving the event, her companions noticed her tongue was bright blue. By the end of the night, Butler was extremely sick and had no memory of arriving home or speaking with her family.
The incident created a reporting conflict between two police departments. Billerica police told Butler she needed to report the crime to Boston police because the event took place there. Boston police, however, told her she could not file the report over the phone and required an in-person visit.
Butler described the logistical difficulty of traveling from Billerica to Boston while still suffering from the effects of the suspected drug. She balanced her symptoms with a job and two children. "To have something like this happen and to know it can happen to anybody and it happens all the time it's disgusting. And it's very very scary again I have girls so it's all I think about is what could happen to them," she said.
Boston police later clarified that Butler can report the incident to any station in the city. They issued a Halloween weekend warning urging revelers to be alert for spiked drinks. The department noted that the drugs used are typically colorless and odorless, making them difficult to detect.
Authorities advised attendees to only take drinks from bar staff and never accept open drinks from strangers. They suggested using drink covers or rapid-testing strips to detect substances. Boston police also listed symptoms such as unexplained dizziness, nausea, confusion, and sudden intoxication inconsistent with alcohol consumption.
The department emphasized that anyone suspecting beverage tampering should contact 911 immediately. Victims are urged to seek emergency medical attention and report the incident promptly to assist ongoing investigations.
