Suspects accused of putting Hernando County teen in ice bath following drug overdose face homicide charges

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - Two men are facing aggravated manslaughter charges after Hernando County deputies say they gave cocaine and fentanyl to a teenager and placed her in an ice bath for hours when she overdosed. 

Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said James Briski and Joshua Ware went to the victim’s home around midnight on September 20, 2023, and found her suffering from an overdose. Instead of calling for help, Nienhuis said the pair put the teen in a bathtub filled with ice and frozen food to try to lower her body temperature. 

"They unfortunately did not call fire rescue at that time," Nienhuis stated. 

He added that the pair left the teenager alone for more than two hours while they did more drugs. 

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When they checked on her, Nienhuis said the victim was not breathing and that’s when they called 911. 

Briski and Ware were arrested later that day. 

James Briski and Joshua Ware mugshots courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. 

Briski was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and possession of cocaine.

Ware was also arrested for aggravated manslaughter of a child, possession of a controlled substance (cocaine and Xanax), and trafficking in fentanyl. 

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Neinhuis said Briski and Ware are two of eight people facing homicide charges as the result of an overdose death since 2022.

"It’s important to note that these drug overdose deaths, if we can get enough information to develop probable cause and then, even further, give the state attorney a case they believe is prosecutable, we will certainly hold them accountable," Nienhuis said. "So, those people that are selling drugs, they need to look over their shoulders. We’ve made eight cases in the last couple of years, and we’re going to continue to make cases going forward."

Nicole Davies mugshot courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. 

During a press conference on Thursday, in addition to discussing the arrests of Briski and Ware, Nienhuis mentioned the arrest of 34-year-old Nicole Davies. She was charged with first-degree murder about a year-and-a-half after deputies say she sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a man who died of an overdose. The sheriff said Davies had been friends with the victim since high school. 

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He also stated that Thomas Pizzo was arrested for first-degree murder about a year after investigators said he gave drugs to a woman who died from an overdose. 

Thomas Pizzo mugshot courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office. 

"The first thing to remember is people are ingesting something either through their nose, their mouth or actually injecting it into their veins, something that was manufactured in someone’s garage and using good techniques and hygiene and sterilization is probably something they don’t think about," Nienhuis shared. "You’re getting drugs that are automatically suspect to say the least, and then you have people that are cutting these drugs in order to make the dose safe enough for a human to take, and they may be on drugs themselves. Oftentimes, I think these overdoses are a result of the person taking them not realizing how much they are taking or the person who sold it to them cutting those drugs and not cutting them enough. Unfortunately, fentanyl is getting cheaper and cheaper, and you can have a fairly large amount of fentanyl for a low cost and enough to kill somebody and if they don’t cut it enough, you could be taking something you think is a dose you can handle as an addict, and it’s enough to kill you, and we believe that’s probably what happened in the recent overdose deaths we’ve had in this area."

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Nienhuis added that he believes the drug dealers will lace drugs like marijuana with fentanyl to get people addicted or will make fentanyl look like other drugs such as Xanax or anything you may get as a prescription.

"To say it’s dangerous is one of the understatements of the year," the sheriff explained. "It is extremely dangerous. Unfortunately, continued use because it is so dangerous is like playing Russian roulette and people are going to overdose."

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