Accidental overdose claims Hermosa Beach youth
Scotty Hemstreet and his sister Juliet, in a photo taken earlier this year at Shade in the Redondo Beach Harbor, where Scotty often enjoyed sailing. Photo by Keith Hemstreet Scotty Hemstreet, a 14-year-old Hermosa Beach resident, died earlier this month from an accidental drug overdose inside an east Hermosa home. Friends and family recalled Scotty as funny, wickedly smart and often the center of attention, a person who was happiest in motion, either sailing over the ocean or with a skateboard under his feet. His parents hope his passing will highlight the dangers of pharmaceuticals, and the counterfeit pills that have emerged as one of the deadliest scourges of the opioid epidemic. “He was good at anything he wanted to be good at. It’s just a complete waste,” said Keith Hemstreet, the boy’s father. “It’s kids taking risks with stuff that’s way more dangerous than they think, and it’s just a complete waste.” Scotty died the morning Aug. 3 in the house next to the one he lived in. The owners were out of town at the time, and the Hemstreet family had agreed to watch over it and feed the family’s cats, Hemstreet said. Scotty and several other kids went into the house at some point…
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