Santa Rosa Adolescent Suspicion of Fentanyl Deaths, overdose can be linked to the same distributor

A man from Santa Rosa accused of selling cocaine with fentanyl to local high school students who died during the weekend He appeared in court on Tuesday but was not accused in his death. Prosecutors said they need more time to review the case, but he remains in custody in a separate investigation into the non -fatal overdose of two other teenagers.

The development marks the first indication that Ramon Núñez, 21, can be linked both to the death of Gia Walsh, 16, a Junior of Santa Rosa high school, and Logan Camp, 18, a student of Last year in Montgomery High School, as well as hospitalizations. of two teenagers.

Until now, the authorities had not confirmed if the cases were connected.

Núñez was arrested Sunday afternoon In Santa Rosa Avenue after the police linked him to the alleged overdose of Walsh and Camp’s fentanyl. The authorities at that time claimed that they sold to adolescents what they thought it was cocaine, but there may be fentanyl content. He was arrested under suspicion of homicide in second degree and narcotics supply to a minor, although prosecutors said Tuesday that they needed more time to determine if formal charges would be presented.

The District Prosecutor of Sonoma County, Carla Rodríguez, told the Democrat of the press after the appearance of Núñez that her office will have to show that Núñez knew that drugs were lethal.

“The problem is your knowledge,” he said. “Then, any other victim, any other buyer who is injured, anything that demonstrates his knowledge of the danger of his actions is relevant.”

During the hearing, the attached prosecutor Thom Gotshall told Judge Troye Shaffer that prosecutors are still evaluating charges and that Núñez It could be released before the judge ordered Núñez to return to the Court on April 28. A public defender attended Núñez in the Court on Tuesday, but has not been officially appointed to represent him.

After the procedures, Rodríguez clarified that Núñez was no longer detained in relation to the two deaths, but remains reserved in the Sonoma County prison on suspicion of providing drugs to a minor and providing drugs to a child under four years or more . His bond was set at $ 2 million.

Those charges come from a separate case that involves two other teenagers who were hospitalized In alleged fentanyl overdose over the weekend, Rodríguez said.

Prosecutors are still determining if charges will be presented in that case, and Núñez is scheduled to appear before the court on Wednesday morning. If researchers conclude that surviving adolescents suffered large body injuries, could cause more severe positions.

Rodríguez refused to say if the four teenagers knew each other, citing the ongoing investigation.

Four friends of a victim attended Tuesday’s audience, but refused to talk to journalists.

The two surviving girls were discovered around 5:15 am on Saturday, but the police have not published more details because they are minors, the sergeant of the Santa Rosa Police. Patricia Seffens said.

Around 8:15 pm on Saturday, a friend found camp and Walsh without responding in a room in a house in the 2100 block of Brookwood Avenue, near the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, police said. The emergency teams responded, but both teenagers were declared dead on the scene.

The researchers found evidence of drug use in the scene, along with information that identified Núñez as the alleged distributor, police said.

Rodríguez said Tuesday that there is no established timeline for laboratories to confirm whether drugs contain fentanil, although in alleged murder investigations, officials move “at full speed.” County officials can expect from six months to one year to obtain overdose data.

Earlier this week, Núñez posted on his Public Instagram account, claiming that he had evidence that his “(improper) is clean”, pointing out the drugs that are suspected of supplying.

“Other people who had the same lot can answer,” he sent a text message about a screenshot of an Instagram story of another account claiming that he had tied the drugs.

Núñez also attached two photos of what he claims to be fentanyl test strips with two red lines that indicate a negative result.

“I understand your duel and that (improper) is not easy, but the truth is that it was not my doing,” he wrote. “Don’t put this to me when I get evidence that shows otherwise.”

Walsh and Camp classmates They have created improvised monuments in their secondary schools. Rodríguez, who went through one of them on Tuesday morning, reflected on the loss.

“This is very tragic,” he said. “Seeing young children, boys and girls holding bouquets of flowers, is heartbreaking.”

You can communicate with staff writer Colin Atagi at [email protected]. On Twitter @colin_atagi