War on Drugs

‘One Pill Kills’: 15-year-old dies from one pill laced with fentanyl; purchased from classmate

Published

1 year ago

September 20, 2022

Just one pill killed 15-year-old Melanie Ramos at Helen Bernstein High School in Hollywood. Friends and family say Ramos, to their knowledge, did not use drugs, but was killed by taking just one pill of a drug containing a deadly dose of fentanyl before her body was discovered in the school bathroom.

Ramos and a friend are believed to have purchased the plus from another 15-year-old male student at the school who has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

In addition to the 15-year-old suspect, a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of narcotics sales for allegedly selling pills at nearby Lexington Park on Tuesday to a third student, a 17-year-old boy from Hollywood High School. The identities of the arrested boys were not released because they are minors. They are students at Apex Academy, a charter school on the Bernstein campus.

Police said there was a fourth student who overdosed at the park, but her identity is not known.

In the aftermath, top city leaders — Mayor Eric Garcetti, L.A. Police Chief Michel Moore and schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho — have pledged urgent action as on-the-ground law-enforcement officials bluntly described the massive and dangerous influx of drugs.

“One pill kills,” said LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza, who oversees the gang and narcotics division, adding that the term “fentanyl-laced” is a weak misnomer. “It is straight up fentanyl. It is not laced with fentanyl… We recovered hundreds, if not thousands, of pills a day; 10,000 pills every other day isn’t unusual” for drugs that are cheap to make and transport and “pushed hard by drug dealers and the cartels.”

“Tell your children: You can’t tell if drugs contain fentanyl by look, taste, smell or touch,” Garcetti said. “A dealer may be a friend or so-called friend or classmate. They might not even know what substance they’re providing.”

Moore pledged swift justice up the distribution chain. “These were students selling to students,” Moore said, “and we’re looking for the people who are using them solely for their access to this campus.” He said that public awareness — leading to prevention — is the best strategy, but that it also would help to put school police on campus.

War on Drugs

Kilo of fentanyl found on children’s mats at Bronx daycare, 4 children overdosed, 1 year old boy dies

Published

4 days ago

September 21, 2023

Sara Carter Staff

Two Bronx daycare employees have been charged by federal prosecutors after fentanyl was found on top of children’s mats. The drug findings were connected to the poisoning of at least four children, all younger than 3 years-old. Tragically, one of the children, a one year old boy, died.

The two adults were charged with narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death.”This case reflects every parent’s worst nightmare,” New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban said in a statement. “These alleged drug traffickers brazenly went about their illicit business in one of the most ill-conceived locations imaginable, but they will be held accountable.”

The Center Square reports:

Prosecutors alleged that over the summer, Mendez and Acevedo Brito and others conspired to distribute fentanyl, including at a children’s daycare center in the Bronx. The complaint alleges the two “maintained large quantities of fentanyl, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children’s playmats.”

On Sept. 15, four children, all younger than 3 years old, appear to have experienced the effects of poisoning from exposure to fentanyl.

Before Mendez called 911 to summon medical assistance for the children, she called another person, referred to as an unnamed co-conspirator in the complaint. That person came to the daycare, stayed for about two minutes and then left out a back alleyway carrying two shopping bags. This happened while the children were unresponsive.

“Tragedy doesn’t begin to describe the events that took place at Divino Niño Daycare,” said Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino III of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division. “This death and drug poisonings are every parent’s worst nightmare and clearly define the danger fentanyl poses to every New Yorker.”