A gas station attendant and an elderly customer were confronted with an alarming situation when they feared that a man might have collapsed in the station's bathroom.

Acting quickly, the attendent unlocked it and indeed found the man on the floor and unresponsive. He called 911.

Police and Fire Department responders would soon learn that the man was a victim of his own dependency on heroin.

At 6:41 p.m. Aug. 31, the 42-year-old New Berlin man was arrested for possession of heroin after he overdosed at the Midtown Shell gas station, 641 N. Hawley Rd.

The station attendant told police the man had come in and bought a bottled fruit punch and then gone to use the restroom. He had been inside for a while when another customer knocked.

He heard the man inside say he would be out in a moment. But then the customer heard what sounded to him like someone falling.

The attendant quickly unlocked the door, and they found the New Berlin man lying on the floor, unable to move. They pulled him out and called 911, bringing the Fire Department and then the Wauwatosa police.

The attendent noted that the man had a backpack, which was found in the restroom and searched for identification. Inside was a paper bag containing a full heroin rig including a total of 12 syringes.

Three of those were in a Naloxone kit and were filled with that drug, which counteracts the affects of overdose – if the user has time to inject it before becoming incapacitated.

Officers also found heroin in the bathroom, folded inside a dollar bill, and in the man’s pockets, along with some marijuana. In total, he had 1.10 grams of heroin.

He was found to be already on probation for heroin possession. He was taken to Froedtert Hospital for treatment and observation.

The suspect was reported to have fled from the hospital before he could be medically cleared. His whereabouts were unknown as of last report.