The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is searching for a Desert Hot Springs man wanted for allegedly providing the fentanyl that led to the death of a 17-year-old girl in August 2022.
Michael Garcia, 22, was identified as the suspect in the fentanyl poisoning and a warrant has been issued for his arrest, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday night. The department has identified other suspects and expects multiple arrests, according to a department release.
According to officials, the case began around 9 a.m. on Aug. 21, 2022 when the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station responded to a call of an unresponsive 17-year-old girl in the 15-000 block of Via Quedo in an unincorporated area of Desert Hot Springs. Upon arrival, the girl was found in a bedroom and was unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators determined she overdosed on fentanyl.
The investigation was presented to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and charges have been filed against Garcia. Anyone with information on Garcia’s whereabouts is asked to call Riverside Sheriff’s Dispatch at 951-776-1099 or Master Investigator Jim Peters at 951-955-1700.
“Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times stronger than morphine and can cause death or serious bodily harm,” the sheriff’s office said in the release.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Desert Hot Springs man wanted in connection with fentanyl death of teenager