18-year-old gave teen lethal dose of fentanyl while at work, Georgia police say
A 17-year-old overdosed on fentanyl — and now a co-worker has been charged in her death, Georgia authorities said.
Brandon Jared Soto, 18, was arrested Friday, Nov. 18, after he’s accused of supplying 17-year-old Halaya Graciela Herrera with the drugs that killed her in July, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Soto was charged with involuntary manslaughter and is being held without bond, deputies said.
Investigators said the teens were using drugs on July 12 at a fast-food restaurant where they worked in Oakwood, a city about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. Authorities did not identify the business.
Herrera fell ill after taking the drugs and Soto took her home, where she overdosed, according to deputies. Her mother called 911 and Herrera was taken to a hospital.
She died in the early hours of July 13, a few weeks shy of her 18th birthday, authorities said.
After further investigation, deputies learned Soto had given Herrera the fatal dose of drugs. Additional details about the incident weren’t immediately available.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 100 times stronger than morphine and is considered a major driver of “fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts said recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose have been tied to “illicitly manufactured fentanyl” that’s sold through illegal drug markets.
In 2020, the U.S. recorded more than 91,700 drug overdose deaths, the CDC said.
This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 2:16 PM with the headline "18-year-old gave teen lethal dose of fentanyl while at work, Georgia police say."