Date-rape drug detector helps in Dallas arrest

LEXINGTON - The news gave Francisco Guerra a sick feeling in his gut.

Guerra, president of SnowMasters, had just found out a female friend was the victim of a sexual assault.

"I knew somebody who was date raped, and I couldn't believe nobody had a product to stop it," he said.

Guerra, who already had his snow-making industry up and running at the time, decided to add something completely different to his product line: A device that detects common date-rape drugs GHB and ketamine.

"I had the resources, so I tracked down the chemistry of the drugs," Guerra said. "My co-inventor, Brian Glover, and I decided to really go after it."

The result was a 2002 invention called DrinkSafe, a line of products including test strips and coasters that turn blue when they come in contact with date-rape drugs.

"We've sold millions," Guerra said. "We've gone to every major university."

Distributors also take the products to bars, including one in Dallas where it helped in the capture of someone suspected of trying to lace the drinks of two women with cocaine. Ketamine is a substance in the drug, and a DrinkSafe coaster detected it.

The incident in early September, which led to the arrest of Brad Hellums, 46, a Dallas reserve police officer, made major news in Texas, according to reports. He is charged with tampering with a consumer product, possession of cocaine and public intoxication.

Guerra and Glover are thrilled by the news.

"It's always great to see when a product works like it's supposed to and stops a crime at the same time," Glover said. "The product's strength is in the fact that it's a deterrent."

Glover said the irony in the Hellums case is the bar where he is accused of slipping the drug into the drink had earlier turned down a DrinkSafe distributor.

"They said it sounds great, but they don't have that problem in their bar," Glover said.

Fortunately, a bartender at the restaurant noticed the suspect slip the substance into the drink, Glover said. The bartender knew the bar across the street has DrinkSafe coasters, so he called police and went to the other bar, got a coaster and tested the drink. A spot on the coaster turned blue, and Hellums was arrested.

Dennis Burns, the Texas distributor for the product, said DrinkSafe does more than detect a tampered drink. It deters people from tampering.

"It's basically like inoculating your bar," Burns said. "If someone wants to put something in a drink, they have the choice between a place that has DrinkSafe products and one that doesn't. Knowing what they're doing is a felony, which one do you think they'll choose?"

Burns commends the bartender for his actions.

"If he had not seen what was going on, that could be two dead women," he said.

Selena Rachelle is the victims services coordinator for Rape Response, an organization that helps victims of sexual assault in Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence and Marion counties. She said Rape Response often deals with individuals, especially women, who suspect they have been given a drink containing a debilitating drug.

"We hear that a lot," Rachelle said. "We're never really sure; we think is sounds a lot like a date drug was used. Of course, we also (classify) alcohol as a date drug" when consumed in high quantities, she said, because of its debilitating effects.

Date rape cases are difficult to investigate, officials say.

Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan said it's not common to hear of date rape drug cases locally.

"That's not to say some individuals don't think something may have been slipped into their drink that renders them vulnerable," he said.

Rachelle said as the general population becomes more aware of date-rape drugs and what to do to avoid becoming a victim, perpetrators try to work around it.

Rachelle said she has encountered stories where the attacker will put a date rape drug in ice cubes where it is released as the ice melts in the drink. She said the DrinkSafe product could be especially beneficial for a quick check.

Guerra said his company continues to produce DrinkSafe, which was named one of Time magazine's best products of 2002.

"There's still so much demand for it that we keep producing it," he said.

Glover said he hopes the news of the Dallas incident and the DrinkSafe product helps raise awareness about date rape.

"It's still a crime that's happening," he said. "Date rape doesn't get reported enough.

"And these drugs aren't always necessarily used for sexual assaults. They can be used to knock somebody out and rob them."

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 740-5739 or bernie.delinski@TimesDaily.com.