Syracuse, NY -- A city woman who received the largest legal settlement in Syracuse’s history was charged with misdemeanor drug possession Tuesday morning in the East Genesee Street hotel where she is residing until the purchase of her new home is finalized. Tatalisha Mack received $3 million in March for injuries she suffered when she was hit by a city...
Syracuse, NY -- A city woman who received the largest legal settlement in Syracuse’s history was charged with misdemeanor drug possession Tuesday morning in the East Genesee Street hotel where she is residing until the purchase of her new home is finalized.
Tatalisha Mack received $3 million in March for injuries she suffered when she was hit by a city truck in August. Mack, who was pregnant when she was struck, lost a leg below her knee and suffered broken bones. Mack was crossing Erie Boulevard East with her roommate, Sonya Chesna.
Her unborn child was delivered by emergency Cesarean section. The child has brain damage, cerebral palsy and is partially blind and deaf, Mack’s lawyer told The Post-Standard in March.
It was a call to police about the child that brought police to Mack’s room in the Genesee Grande Hotel, 1060 E. Genesee St., according to the police report.
The police report gave these details:
A caller told 911 he wanted police to check the status of Mack’s child who was present while the mother was using drugs.
Police arrived at the room 7:35 a.m. and Chesna answered the door and Mack was also in the room. Chesna told police the child was not there and officers entered to check. In plain view in the room was a bag of marijuana and an officer found a bag containing what police determined to be crack cocaine.
Mack and Chesna both admitted that they do smoke crack cocaine but not in front of the child.
Mack told police that she paid her sister to watch the baby while Mack went to the casino for the night. Mack also said she was living at the hotel while she waits for a real estate transaction to take place on her new home.
Mack told police that the person she suspected of calling police has been using her money and recently asked for $500, which she refused. Police found the child with Mack’s sister.
Mack and Chesna, both of 102 Croly St., were issued appearance tickets for criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.