RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — A 21-year-old Eastvale man has been charged with second-degree homicide in reference to the overdose dying of an 18-year-old, the Riverside County District Legal professional’s Workplace stated Monday.
Joseph Michael Costanza, 21, is dealing with 4 felony fees for his alleged involvement within the overdose dying of an 18-year-old. (Riverside County District Legal professional’s Workplace)
Joseph Michael Costanza is dealing with 4 felony fees: one depend of homicide; one depend of gross sales of a managed substance, fentanyl, to a minor with an enhancement of drug gross sales to a minor not less than 4 years youthful and an allegation of inflicting nice bodily damage; and two counts of possession of a managed substance, fentanyl, for gross sales.
Based on prosecutors, 18-year-old Angel Vasquez, was discovered unresponsive Oct. 4, 2020 at a house in Eastvale. He was taken to a close-by hospital the place he was pronounced lifeless about an hour later. A 16-year-old was additionally discovered within the residence, additionally affected by an overdose, however survived.
“He was child, simply ending faculty,” Eduardo Vazquez, the sufferer’s father, stated. “This must cease, it simply must cease.”
That is the primary time in Riverside County that an accused drug seller has been charged for allegedly offering fentanyl to an individual who subsequently overdosed and died.
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“There isn’t any secure method to make use of or to promote fentanyl. Merely put, it’s deadly,” District Legal professional Mike Hestrin stated. “Those that promote fentanyl ought to know that and, in the event that they select to promote it anyway and somebody dies, the seller must be prosecuted for homicide.”
Prosecutors allege that Costanza was promoting fentanyl-laced medication, often known as M30 drugs, regardless of realizing the hazard of fentanyl and the potential for overdose.
Deputies with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Division served a search warrant on Costanza’s residence Feb. 11 and seized proof associated to the promoting of unlawful medication in addition to M30 drugs present in his bed room, the district lawyer’s workplace stated.
Based on the sheriff’s division, a lady died from an overdose at Costanza’s Eastvale residence in July 2020 and there have been a number of different non-fatal overdose incidents on the residence.
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Costanza faces as much as 17 years in jail for the drug-related counts and 15 years to life for the second-degree homicide depend, in line with the district lawyer’s workplace.
