Palm Desert man charged with murder for fentanyl overdose death
A Palm Desert man was arrested and charged with murder in connection with a fentanyl overdose death last year.
Gregory Gauto, 37, was arrested on last week by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.
Gauto's arrest was the result of a months-long investigation into the suspected fentanyl poisoning death of a 30-year-old man in Palm Desert on September 26, 2022.
On June 6, investigators filed second-degree murder charges against Gauto with the Riverside County District Attorney's office. Gauto was placed under arrest the next day.
Gauto has been booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where he is being held on $1 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Thursday.
The investigation remains ongoing, authorities said. Anyone with information is asked to contact Master Investigator Cornett at 951-955-1700.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department wants to remind citizens of the dangers of illicit narcotics that contain fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than morphine and can cause death or serious bodily harm.
In 2022, Riverside County reported 505 fentanyl overdose deaths. According to the county's data, there were 68 fentanyl-related deaths in the county between January and February of this year.
