A Towers resident overdosed on drugs in February, leading to a search of her dorm room and causing confusion on her floor after she left the residence halls.

Yuen-Yu Tong, junior in finance, formerly of Wallace 2327 Rambo, reportedly overdosed on an unidentified substance at an off-campus location Feb. 20.

The Ames Police Department and the Iowa State Department of Public Safety were contacted and handled the case.

At the time of the overdose, Ames Police Sgt. Randy Kessel said Tong appeared to be a passenger in a car.

Loras Jaeger, director of DPS, said his office has the responsibility of retrieving substances from dorm rooms in overdose situations to aid medical staff in treating the patient.

According to a DPS report Tong was semi-conscious when she was transported to Mary Greeley Medical Center.

Jaeger said DPS seized some medication but did not know what the substance was.

“It looks like all they seized was some vitamin pills,” Jaeger said.

Tara Gentry, sophomore in Spanish and a resident of Rambo House, said she was on the floor the night of the overdose.

Gentry said there were two officers outside Tong’s residence hall room door when she passed by at about 8 p.m. Within about an hour, she said another officer arrived.

“I approached the female officer and said, ‘Can I ask what’s going on?'” Gentry said, “and she said, ‘We’re conducting an investigation.'”

Gentry said the officers and residence hall staff were quiet about the investigation.

“It was pretty hush-hush on the floor,” she said.

Karen Giefer, freshman in liberal arts and sciences and Rambo House resident, also said DPS and Ames Police officers didn’t offer any information.

“The police were just absolutely no questions answered,” she said. “They were actually kind of guarding the door.”

Jon Wheeler, Wallace Hall director, said the matter was turned over to the Dean of Students Office.

He said he had expected Tong to return to Wallace Hall after the incident, but she moved out.

Wheeler said he was notified of Tong’s departure in early March.

A new resident moved into 2327 Wallace on March 12, Gentry said.

Giefer said she saw Tong move out after the incident.

“It had to have been maybe a week or more later,” she said. “She and a guy were moving her stuff out.”

Members of Rambo House said they heard very little from Tong when she was on the floor.

“As far as I know, we had no contact with the girl before or after the incident,” Gentry said.