FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2021
SAN BERNARDINO Calif. – The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department has charged suspect Brian Anaya-Esquivel of Pomona, CA, with the murder of a 17-year-old victim of Chino Hills.
After a thorough investigation by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Overdose Response Team, the victim’s death resulted from purchasing and using narcotics containing fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that overdose fatalities rose from 2,666 in 2011 to 31,335 in 2018. The Department of Health and Human Services reported that fentanyl overdose deaths rose to 18,335 by 2016, and between 2012 and 2014, these deaths doubled each year.
The highest increase being overdose deaths rising 38.4% in one year alone, from May 2019-May 2020.
Over the past year, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Fire Department, and District Attorney’s Office have seen an increase in the abuse of opioids, including the illicit pharmaceutical pills laced with fentanyl.
These pills can be deadly and have an impact on the family of the user.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Overdose Response Team is committed to combating the opioid crisis and keeping the deadly drug off the streets and the cartels of our communities in San Bernardino County. The task force is a collaborative effort between DEA, FBI, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, alongside several city police departments.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is committed to diligently prosecuting these crimes, helping bring closure to the victim families, and keeping opioids out of our county and communities.
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DA Case Number 2021-00-0016085
Court Case# FWV21002588