Teen charged with murder in 12-year-old’s fatal overdose

A California teen has been arrested and charged with murder, accused of selling a fentanyl-laced pill to a 12-year-old child.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney Office (SCCDAO) said San Jose Police Department officers arrested the teen on Tuesday. 

Authorities found in the suspect’s Google Photos page screenshots of public service warnings over fentanyl overdoses, according to the statement. 

The 12-year-old girl was with two friends when she purchased the “M-30” pill from the 16-year-old suspect on Nov. 14, 2020. 

Prosecutors said her friends then recorded a video of her lining up the crushed pill for ingestion. 

After snorting the fentanyl-laced pill, the child passed out and began to snore, a sign of a fentanyl overdose, according to the statement. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl is a synthetic drug that can be 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. The SCCDAO said that illicitly-made fentanyl is commonly made to resemble prescription drugs. 

The girl was pronounced dead by medical officials after her friends brought her to the Regional Medical Center in San Jose, Calif. 

This is the second time the SCCDAO has charged a someone with murder after a fatal overdose. A San Jose, Calif., man is also facing a murder charge after selling an opioid that led to a fatal overdose through social media platform Snapchat to an 18-year-old in 2020.

“After thousands of deaths, everyone should know that fentanyl is a deadly poison,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in the statement. “Thanks to the San Jose Police Department, the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team, and our investigators, this child’s tragically short life may help save others.” 

The charged minor is expected to face prison time for the charges against him, the statement noted.