Two people who allegedly distributed and supplied fentanyl that killed a 15-year-old Newman Smith High School student in Carrollton last week have been federally charged, according to a news release.
This incident marked the fourth child to die from a fentanyl overdose in the area since September 2022, according to the release from the U.S. attorney for the northern district of Texas, Leigha Simonton.
Lizbeth Prieto, 19, aka Lizbeth Escamilla, and Christian Lopez, 24, were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
“Four young lives, lost in an instant. Four families, heartbroken,” Simonton said in a statement.
“Fentanyl continues to creep its insidious way through the teenage population, and no kid is immune. The Justice Department will continue to take traffickers off the streets. But our efforts alone are not enough. As soon as one trafficker is put behind bars, another rises up to take his place.
“Parents, teachers, and friends: Please, educate your kids on the dangers of counterfeit pills. Unless prescribed by a doctor, no pill is safe. Even tablets that appear to be prescription painkillers or other types of medications may well be laced with a deadly dose of fentanyl.”
Lopez allegedly supplied fentanyl pills to Prieto, who reportedly then provided them to the victim, a 15-year-old student identified as “J.G.” in court documents.
Tragedy struck on June 13, when family members discovered J.G. lying face down and unresponsive on her bed. She was pronounced dead shortly after she arrived at the hospital.
During the investigation, authorities discovered 10 counterfeit oxycodone pills bearing the inscription M/30 in her room.
Tests confirmed that the pills contained fentanyl.
A review of J.G.’s Instagram account allegedly revealed conversations between her and Prieto dating back approximately 24 hours before the fatal incident.
According to the messages recovered, Prieto purportedly offered to sell J.G. 13 M/30 pills for $100.
An undercover officer immediately contacted Prieto, expressing interest in purchasing M/30s.
Arrangements were made for a meeting between Prieto and the undercover officer the following day.
Prior to the transaction, law enforcement surveillance observed Prieto entering a vehicle occupied by Lopez.
After exiting the car, she allegedly met with the officer, handed over several pills in exchange for marked bills, and then returned to Lopez’s vehicle after the sale.
Law enforcement officers pulled Lopez over and discovered five of the six marked bills in his possession.
Lopez allegedly confessed to supplying Prieto with the counterfeit pills that were subsequently given to the undercover officer and tested positive for fentanyl.
Prieto purportedly admitted that Lopez served as her supplier and revealed that she had sold J.G. a dozen pills.
Although she apparently claimed to be aware of J.G.’s youth, Prieto claimed she did not know the victim’s age.
Nearby, the City of Dallas is riddled with crime, and the Dallas Police Department faces a staffing shortage of several hundred, as reported by The Dallas Express. DPD currently employs just 3,100 officers.
According to the daily crime analytics dashboard, the City of Dallas is no stranger to drug-related crimes, with 3,537 reported through the first four months of the year.
In an effort to combat crime concentrated in the neighborhood, DPD deployed a dedicated police unit in Deep Ellum. This is common in crime hotspots, especially downtown areas; dedicated patrols in Fort Worth’s city center have contributed to a much lower crime rate than downtown Dallas.
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