MELBOURNE, Fla. — Officials say a drug called Flakka is similar to bath salts. Melbourne police said they've dealt with two Flakka-involved cases recently, including a 17-year-old girl, who was running through a neighborhood, naked.
Investigators said they are so concerned with the drug that they've warned school resource officers to be on the lookout for it.
Flakka is a synthetic drug similar to bath salts, but made up of different compounds. Until recently; Melbourne police hadn't had much experience with it.
Police said Flakka is associated with bizarre behavior, like the teen who ran down Sycamore Road naked this month.
"I'm God. This is life. Oh my God! Hurry up. Wake me up! Wake me up! Wake me up! God, God!" screamed the teen as she was recorded on a dashboard camera.
"Relax. Relax," an officer tells her.
"God, Satan, burn in hell!" she screamed.
"That night, she was obviously on some type of drugs. She just approached me and my brother. We were out here minding our own business. Actually, we didn't see her approach us from the rears," said a witness.
The witness said the girl also broke through a window at his home.
Melbourne police said they responded to a similarly disturbing incident last month when a naked man attacked a tree. They suspect Flakka may have played a role in both cases.
"We're seeing people raise their core body temperature, so they strip off their clothes and start talking delusional," said Lt. Dan Lynch of the Melbourne Police Department.
Patrol officers have been trained to spot potential Flakka use and react accordingly.
For Melbourne police, that means calling the fire department and having them on standby in case someone requires immediate medical attention.
The sheriff's office, Palm Bay police and Cocoa police said they haven't had any cases this year.
WFTV
