Neighboring Placer County is the first county in the state to get a murder conviction for a fentanyl death. 21-year-old Nathaniel Cabacungan has pleaded to the charge. He possessed and transported the drug, pressed into pills to look like percocets. And he gave them to a 15-year-old Roseville girl for the purpose of engaging in lewd behavior, according to complaint. A recent proposed law that would allow murder to be charged in certain fentanyl deaths stalled this spring. But District Attorney Morgan Gire says there’s never been a prohibition for charging it, as a result of behavior that’s considered dangerous…

click to listen to Morgan Gire

Gire has filed murder charges in three other fentanyl deaths as well. One also was resolved with a guilty plea, but not to murder. And the other two are still pending…

click to listen to Morgan Gire

The DA’s Office has a “One Pill Can Kill” webpage. It says that in 2020 there were 24 local residents who died from fentanyl poisoning. Nearly half were under age 25, marking a 700-percent increase over 2019 numbers. Cabacungan had no prior fentanyl convictions. Sentencing is scheduled for August 16th, with a range of 15 years to life in prison.