An Oxnard man has been charged with homicide following the deadly overdose of a fuel station employee to whom he allegedly bought fentanyl, authorities mentioned Thursday.
This marks the primary time the Ventura County district lawyer’s workplace has filed homicide expenses in opposition to somebody who bought fentanyl to a different particular person.
“The submitting of homicide expenses in a fentanyl overdose case underscores the grave duty we have now to guard our group from the devastating affect of this lethal drug,” Dist. Atty. Erik Nasarenko mentioned in an announcement. “We’re dedicated to looking for justice for victims and holding accountable those that present this poison.”
Rodney Rey Yanez, 55, was charged with second-degree homicide within the loss of life of Dylan Rusch, in response to the district lawyer’s workplace. He faces 9 felony expenses in all, in addition to 4 drug-related misdemeanors.
On Sept. 23, 2023, authorities allege that Yanez bought fentanyl to Rusch on the Oxnard fuel station the place Rusch labored. Rusch overdosed within the toilet and died on the scene regardless of resuscitative efforts by law enforcement officials and different first responders.
There was a deadly dose of fentanyl in Rusch’s system, which triggered his loss of life, in response to the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Workplace.
Yanez was arrested by the Oxnard Police Division on July 24 and charged with promoting and transporting fentanyl, methamphetamine and different medication within the 14 months earlier than Rusch died.
He appeared in courtroom for the primary time Thursday and is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 21 in Ventura County Superior Court docket, in response to the district lawyer’s workplace. He’s being held in lieu of $1-million bail.
Final 12 months, a Temecula man who gave a fentanyl-laced tablet to a 26-year-old girl was convicted and sentenced to fifteen years to life in jail in reference to the girl’s loss of life.
The conviction of Vicente David Romero marked California’s first jury conviction of a fentanyl-related murder, in response to Riverside County prosecutors.
