Source: Philip Seymour Hoffman's number in phone recovered in raid
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman backstage at the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards with his award for best actor, drama for "Capote" at the Beverly Hilton on Jan. 16, 2006 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Credit: Getty Images / Kevin Winter
Police have found actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's phone number in the cellphone of at least one of three people arrested after a raid of a NoHo apartment, said a law enforcement official familiar with the case.
The NYPD carried out the search after a confidential informant told police that Hoffman, who died of an apparent drug overdose Sunday in the bathroom of his apartment, had purchased heroin the past from some of the people arrested at 302 Mott St. on Monday, said the official, who asked not to be identified.
But police are still unclear if the heroin found in Hoffman's apartment after he died had been supplied to him by any of the three arrested in the drug case.
The official wasn't able to say if the cellphone numbers found in the raid represented calls Hoffman initiated.
It was also unclear Wednesday how the Academy Award-winning actor had died.
A spokeswoman for the city medical examiner said the autopsy had been completed, but results were inconclusive pending the results of toxicology tests, which could take several days.
A preliminary test of the heroin used by Hoffman showed that it had a purity of 50 percent to 60 percent, a level higher than some poor street-quality drug, but not unusually high, said the official. Hoffman's heroin didn't contain the opioid fentanyl, used by dealers to give an extra boost to the product, the official said.
When police searched Hoffman's apartment Sunday, they found more than 50 glassine packets of heroin bearing the labels Ace of Spades and Ace of Hearts, as well as prescription muscle relaxants and blood pressure medication.
The official said that the NYPD is investigating Hoffman's case as that of a "suspicious death," which may be linked to drugs. But if drug use is not found to have caused Hoffman's death or if the drugs found in the Mott Street arrests aren't connected to him, then the police investigation would essentially be finished, the official said.
Max Rosenblum, 22, and Julianna Luchkiw, 22, both of 302 Mott St., were charged with misdemeanor criminal use of drug paraphernalia, misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Robert Vineberg, 57, of 302 Mott St., was charged with felony criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance.
They were ordered held Wednesday night after an appearance in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
Wednesday night, Broadway theaters dimmed their lights in memory of Hoffman, and members of the theater community held a candlelight vigil for the Tony Award-nominated actor.
With John Valenti
