Desert Hot Springs man facing murder charge after fentanyl overdose death
A Desert Hot Springs man is facing murder charges after being accused of supplying the fentanyl that killed a woman one year ago.
The death happened on Aug. 12, 2021. Police were called to the 66000 block of Flora Avenue to respond to a 32-year-old female who was having a medical emergency from a possible fentanyl poisoning.
The woman, identified as Noel Roscoe, was pronounced dead in the hospital. Her cause of death was determined to be acute fentanyl toxicity.
In April 2022, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Overdose Death Investigations and Narcotics Unit (ODIN) assumed this case.
During the investigation, authorities determined that Roscoe was a victim of a Fentanyl Poisoning. The investigation continued and a suspect, a 36-year-old Desert Hot Springs man, was identified as being the suspect responsible for selling the Fentanyl that killed Roscoe.
Check Out: Fentanyl’s heartbreaking impact and how Riverside County is tackling the deadly drug
The suspect is already in custody on several narcotic sales-related offenses at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. The Sheriff's Dept. added that murder charges will be filed against the suspect as well.
The investigation remains ongoing, anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Investigator Hollingsworth at 951-955-1700.
Fentanyl is known to be 80-100 times more potent than morphine and is a popular additive, seamlessly mixed into any number of narcotics and pharmaceuticals.
Late last year, Riverside County District Attorney Hestrin told News Channel 3 that fentanyl deaths are up by more than 800% in the last five years in the county.
According to Riverside County, there were at least 386 unintentional fentanyl deaths throughout 2021 in the county. That’s up by more than 100 deaths from the year before.
So far this year, there have been 118 fentanyl overdose deaths in Riverside County, that's according to county data from Jan. 1 to April 30. From just March 30 to April 30, the county reported 39 additional fentanyl overdose deaths.
The majority of fentanyl overdose deaths are unintentional. Hestrin told News Channel 3 in May that unintentional fentanyl deaths are growing more common.
“What's really, so different about fentanyl, it's the process of overdose, it's not really overdosing anymore," Hestrin added, "It's not a long process that involves addiction and using the drug routinely. It's happening a lot on the first time or the first second time that someone is taking one of these pills and death is occurring.”
You can find a live updated chart of overdose deaths below:
Hestrin also noted that the DEA estimates that 40% of counterfeit pills on the street contain a fatal dose of fentanyl.
At the start of the year, Riverside County law enforcement officials joined a state lawmaker and families of victims "poisoned'' by fentanyl, to call on the public to support legislative and other efforts aimed at charging dealers with murder and manslaughter.
Watch: RivCo leaders discuss the impact of fentanyl, push for legislation to charge dealers with murder
In May, a Palm Desert woman accused of selling fentanyl that led to a man's death was charged with one count of murder. The woman
Loved ones told News Channel 3's Samantha Lomibao that the man said he took a pill for pain relief, following a recent dental procedure.
"My brother- this is not something you would have expected from my brother so I think everybody til this day is still shocked"
In December, a man who sold a 20-year-old woman a fentanyl-laced pill was arrested and was indicted on federal charges. We've spoken to the woman's father about the case and his fight for legislative change.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.
