Seaford man passes out on opioid at movie with kids, cops say

A Seaford man was charged with endangering the welfare of his children after he inhaled an opioid — and became unresponsive — during a fundraising event Tuesday in Seaford, Nassau police said.

Nicholas Anastasio, 36, snorted Fentanyl and passed out at the Seaford Cinemas on Merrick Road at 10:23 a.m., according to police.

His two children, ages 2 and 6, were not injured and were released to a family member, police said.

Anastasio was arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead and released with certain conditions. He was represented by Legal Aid, which has a policy of not commenting on cases.

The Seaford Harbor PTA was sponsoring a fundraising event at the theater in conjunction with a 10 a.m. showing of the movie “Trolls.” Police said an off-duty Nassau officer “observed” Anastasio “sweating profusely” at the theater — and then “pass out.”

The officer retrieved Narcan from his vehicle and administered it to Anastasio with no response. Narcan, or naloxone, is used to revive victims of a heroin overdose, though it also works with other opioids.

Police said Seventh Precinct officers and an ambulance supervisor responded to the scene and again administered Narcan, at which point Anastasio became responsive. He was then taken to a hospital.

With Ellen Yan

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”