ONEONTA _ A 26-year-old Unadilla woman found unresponsive in a local motel Tuesday died of drug-induced respiratory failure, authorities said Wednesday. They identified her as Alicia E. Palmer.
She loved life and her two children, her father said Wednesday, but recently was influenced by ``the wrong people.''
Otsego County Coroner James Hurley said an autopsy was done Wednesday, but results about drugs involved are pending.
Palmer was found unresponsive at Motel 88, formerly called the Oasis Motel, on Chestnut Street in Oneonta on Tuesday afternoon.
Indications are her death was accidental, Oneonta Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Jump said Wednesday, but an investigation continues pending autopsy results.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a man who had been at the motel and was charged with drug-related offenses was arraigned in Oneonta City Court. David L. Ronquillo, 36, of Sidney, was sent to Otsego County jail on about $18,000 bail, authorities said.
Emergency-radio traffic reported Palmer was in Room 253 at the motel at about 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, when help was summoned. Jump said police searched the room after a warrant was issued, but no drugs or drug-related paraphernalia were found.
Palmer wasn't a registered guest at the motel and had been visiting friends there, police said, and people living at the motel who found Palmer tried to revive her.
An obituary from the Bookhout Funeral Home in Oneonta said Palmer was the daughter of Jacqueline Hoppe and Keith Palmer. Palmer is survived by her children, Brandon and Faith Huestis, sister, Ashley, and brothers, Joshua and Kyle Palmer.
``Alicia loved flowers, horses and animals,'' the obituary said.
Most of all, though, Alicia loved her children, said Keith Palmer, Alicia's father. Alicia had joint custody of the children _ Brandon, 8, and Faith, 3 _ with their father, Bobby Huestis, Palmer said by phone Wednesday night.
``She always had time for the kids,'' Palmer said. ``She enjoyed life _ she lived for her children.''
She had attended Laurens Central School, and she had worked for a Super 8 Motel until being laid off in September when the baseball camp season ended, her father said. Alicia often took her children to the park in Unadilla near her home, he said.
But recently, Palmer said, his daughter fell in with the wrong crowd.
``She got mixed up with the wrong people, influenced by the wrong people,'' he said.
Police said a man who was at the motel Tuesday afternoon was driving away but was stopped and arrested.
Ronquillo was charged with appearing under the influence of drugs, driving while ability impaired and possession of a hypodermic needle, police said. He was held overnight in the Oneonta lockup on $500 bail. The report didn't indicate if any drugs were in the needle, which could be sent away for tests, Jump said.
On May 17, Ronquillo had been charged with seventh-degree possession of a controlled substance, heroin, and possession of a hypodermic needle, police said.
On Wednesday, Ronquillo appeared in Oneonta City Court before Judge Walter L. Terry III , was arraigned and sent to Otsego County jail, police said.
Palmer was charged April 29 with driving while intoxicated and since 2006 had been charged with disorderly conduct and petit larceny. The police blotter listed her as living in Mount Vision, Otego and most recently in Unadilla.
