Fighting Fentanyl: Investigating Law Enforcement’s Response to the Opioid Crisis

Part 1: Santa Cruz Family Says Law Enforcement Failed in Daughter’s Death

The Investigative Unit spent five months digging into our growing fentanyl crisis following a troubling case out of Santa Cruz County involving the sudden death of a teen girl. Candice Nguyen explains.

Part 2: Watsonville Police Accused of Ignoring Fentanyl-Laced Drug Warning Before Santa Cruz Girl’s Death

Weeks before a teen girl was found dead in a man’s family house, Watsonville Police received a 911 call about the man selling “fentanyl-laced Percocets.” The caller told the Investigative Unit the officer ignored that portion of her report putting the public at risk. Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 3: Santa Cruz Officials Took 4 Days to Treat Teen’s Death as Suspicious, Possible Sex Crime

New insight Monday reveals more about what happened when Santa Cruz deputies found a girl dead in a man’s home and whether they took the case seriously. Investigative Reporter Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 4: Parents of Santa Cruz Teen Girl Sue for Wrongful Death in Fentanyl Case

A new lawsuit filed in civil court accuses 23-year-old Michael Russell and his parents of contributing to 16-year-old Emma Lace Price’s fentanyl-related death last November. Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 5: Plea Deal in Works for Man Charged in Santa Cruz Girl's Fentanyl Case

A plea deal is in the works for a San Jose man charged with 16 felony counts, including giving two underage girls drugs. One of the girls died in the defendant’s home. But, Investigative Reporter Candice Nguyen found he’s still not charged with her death.

Part 6: Celebration of Life for Emma Lace Price in Santa Cruz

Family and friends of Emma Lace Price gathered in Santa Cruz Saturday to remember the teen and share stories.

Part 7: Plea Deal Reached in Santa Cruz Teen Fentanyl Case

After nearly a year of reporting on a teen girl’s fentanyl-related death, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit was in court when her accused drug dealer changed his plea. Investigative Reporter Candice Nguyen has today’s development, and the questions still hanging over this case.

Part 8: 'It Is Not Like I was Being a Predator or a Weirdo': Man Sentenced in Santa Cruz Fentanyl, Child Sex Abuse Case

Sitting emotionless and with his backed turned nearly the entire time, 24-year-old Michael Russell from San Jose listened to 16-year-old Lace Price’s family and a friend as they gave victim impact statements during his sentencing Wednesday. Candice Nguyen reports.

Part 9: Partial Settlement Reached in Santa Cruz Fentanyl Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The family of a teenage girl who died of a fentanyl overdose has reached a settlement with some of the people accused in her death. Investigative Reporter Candice Nguyen has the latest in the tragic case out of Santa Cruz County.

THE CASE

16-year-old Lace Price was found unresponsive in a man’s home in Santa Cruz County last November. Her parents say they were told fentanyl was in her system along with other substances. The man, Michael Russell, who is originally from San Jose, has been charged with sex crimes against Price and another minor and providing drugs – to which he’s pleaded not guilty. But he’s not charged with Price’s death. Why? After a five-month-long investigation, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit uncovers exclusive details about the case, our community’s fight against fentanyl, and concerns some law enforcement agencies are failing to hold suspected dealers accountable for lives being lost.

THE CRISIS

After making its way across the country, our nation’s fentanyl crisis has hit California, including the Bay Area. Fatal fentanyl poisonings soared before and during the pandemic as the crisis continues to spike in many counties. The Investigative Unit spoke to prosecutors who say some counties are just now improving law enforcement training to detect possible fentanyl cases and autopsy processes to include fentanyl testing.

Here are the latest numbers from some of our local counties:

Santa Clara County provides up-to-date death information, including a breakout of fatal fentanyl poisonings, on its new Medical Examiner dashboard: https://medicalexaminer.sccgov.org/medical-examiner-coroner-dashboard.

It shows 27 fentanyl-related deaths in 2019, 86 in 2020, and 131 in 2021.

San Francisco public health officials say overdose deaths there began a rapid rise in 2018 due to the arrival of fentanyl in the illicit drug supply. In 2021, the city saw 476 fentanyl deaths, according to its Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Fatal fentanyl poisonings nearly quadrupled from 2019 to 2020 in Santa Cruz County. County officials tell the Investigative Unit they are still processing 2021 numbers, but confirm the number is still surging. They say the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and Public Health Department are participating in a public virtual town hall meeting Monday April 25, 2022 to address their community and media about its fentanyl crisis, including their response thus far. Here's more information. SafeRx Santa Cruz County is leading the event.

The fentanyl crisis is no longer isolated to adults and people struggling with substance abuse. Law enforcement across the Bay Area and Santa Cruz tells the Investigative Unit illicit drugs are being advertised to young teens online and on social media where the possible one-time-user may have no idea the drug being purchased contains or may contain a deadly amount of fentanyl.

Drug dealers add the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl to other drugs to increase profits. The hospital-grade opioid is known to cause a heroine-like effect cheaply because you only need to use a microscopic amount. Lacing other drugs – for example, Percocet, Xanax, or cocaine – with fentanyl makes them more powerful, more addictive, and also more dangerous.

Public health and safety experts say the conversation about drugs with children needs to change from “drugs are bad” to “one pill can kill.”

In January, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office filed a murder charge in a case where they say a 12-year-old girl suddenly died after taking less than a single pill laced with fentanyl. In February, a Los Altos High School student was found dead, and police believe the cause was fentanyl.

THE CONVERSATION

Fentanyl Overdose vs. Fentanyl Poisoning

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen talks about the new conversations underway surrounding the use of the word “overdose” versus “poisoning” when it comes to fentanyl. He also talks about the importance of law enforcement collecting evidence early on in suspected fentanyl cases if prosecutors are going to hold drug dealers accountable.

“It doesn’t make a difference how old or how young you are.”

Edwin Moore visits a memorial of a 16-year-old girl found dead in a San Francisco alley last February of a suspected overdose. He does not know the girl but was overcome with emotion. San Francisco police and the Medical Examiner are treating the case as a suspicious death. It’s unclear if fentanyl was in the girl’s system, but the Investigative Unit has filed a records request for the autopsy and toxicology report.

RESEARCH & RESOURCES:

Learn more about fentanyl: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html

Substance abuse and mental health support (SAMHSA): https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

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Fighting Fentanyl: Investigating Law Enforcement's Response to the Opioid Crisis

The Investigative Unit spent more than a year digging into our growing fentanyl crisis by following a troubling case out of Santa Cruz County involving the sudden death of a teen girl.

By Candice Nguyen, Michael Horn, Michael Bott, Mark Villareal and Alex Bozovic Published April 13, 2022 • Updated on May 30, 2023 at 9:40 am