Fentanyl Poisoning In Murrieta: 21-Year-Old Woman Arrested

MURRIETA, CA — A 21-year-old woman suspected of furnishing fentanyl to a man in Murrieta — who subsequently had to be revived with Narcan after he took the alleged narcotic — is in jail waiting to see what formal charges might be filed against her.

Ezabella Avila of Riverside was arrested Monday night and booked on suspicion of possession of drugs for sale, and furnishing narcotics resulting in great bodily injury — the latter of which could see an additional three to six years in prison if the charge is filed and she's convicted.

According to the Murrieta Police Department, an investigation into Avila began around 9:09 p.m. March 4 when officers were called about a possible overdose at a home. At the residence, they found an unresponsive man who had ingested fentanyl, according to Murrieta police.

Narcan — a treatment for known or suspected opioid poisoning — was administered by Murrieta first responders. The man was hospitalized and recovered at Loma Linda Medical Center, police said.

An investigation into the incident led Murrieta police to the 1800 block of Arroyo Drive in Riverside, where more than 200 M-30 fentanyl pills and other drugs were found, along with ammunition and more than $12,000 in cash, according to the department.

Avila was arrested by Murrieta police Monday night as part of the investigation. Jail records show she was being held at Riverside's Robert Presley Detention Center in lieu of $500,000 bail. As of Thursday morning, the court system does not show formal charges have been filed against her yet.

In a news release, the Murrieta Police Department said the city "has been experiencing an influx of overdoses specifically related to fentanyl distribution within M-30 pills."

M-30s are counterfeit oxycodone pills that contain fentanyl.

"Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine. All drugs and counterfeit pills are themselves deadly because they are often mixed with fentanyl or a derivative of fentanyl. These substances alone or mixed together can kill in very small doses," the Murrieta PD news release stated.

It's unclear if the man treated in Murrieta knew he was taking fentanyl. His relationship, if any, to Avila was not made public.

Earlier this year, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and District Attorney Mike Hestrin held a press conference announcing a strategy to aggressively investigate and potentially file charges connected to all deaths stemming from fentanyl toxicity.

Three first-of-their-kind second-degree murder cases involving fentanyl deaths are currently working their way through the Riverside County court system, and four accused young men remain behind bars.

Bianco cited statistics indicating fentanyl-induced fatalities shot up 300 percent countywide between 2018 and 2020.

In most cases, buyers are unaware the pill they've purchased from a narcotics trafficker contains fentanyl — they believe they are taking oxycodone, Percocet or some other drug, according to Bianco, who noted that fentanyl is also being cut with other illegal substances, like methamphetamine.

It only takes about 2 milligrams of fentanyl to kill a human, and the drug is very inexpensive to manufacture. China is the main fentanyl supplier, and the narcotic is making its way to the U.S. by way of Mexico, Bianco said.

"The chances of you taking fentanyl are extremely high," the sheriff warned black-market drug buyers.

Related: 'Our Kids Were Poisoned To Death': SoCal's Fentanyl Conversation