TAMPA, Fla. — "I was emotional when I heard about it,” said Katie Golden's mom, Dawn Golden.
Tampa Police have arrested 19-year-old Titan Goodson in the overdose death of the Plant High School teenager.
Goodson was arrested Saturday night and will be arraigned in court on Friday morning at 8:30 a.m.
"Katie was clean the night before. She didn't want to do drugs so I was really surprised when this happened,” said her mom.
Golden, 17, died in April 2017 after a heroin overdose at her friend’s Harbor Island home. Tampa Police closed the case, then reopened it at her parent’s urging.
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Now, Goodson is facing a manslaughter charge after a grand jury indicted him last week.
"Her counselors said she thought Katie had been tricked,” said Golden.
A Medical Examiner’s report says Golden’s death was slow. Goodson only called for help early Saturday morning when he reported Golden had stopped breathing.
Golden was four weeks shy of graduating Plant High and, to her parents’ knowledge, she had never tried heroin.
"Hopefully, Katie's case can prevent someone else's death,” said her mom.
"Unfortunately, Katie is the example. Don't do heroin. One time is enough to kill you," her dad told ABC Action News in a 2017 interview.
Golden says her daughter was in recovery from marijuana abuse and was doing well and they never expected to lose her this way.
"I can't believe I haven't heard an 'I'm sorry' or, something?” her mom said.
