01.03.2021 | 4:45 PM | ANAHEIM – At least four people were dead and another was in critical condition after a series of suspected fentanyl overdoses in just a day, police said Monday evening.
In a post on social media Anaheim police said they responded to the fentanyl-related deaths in a span of several hours.
The first incident was reported around 11:40 AM when officers discovered a female deceased inside a hotel room located in the 800 block of South Beach Boulevard.
Less than an hour later, at 12:05 PM, a man was found dead in the 1700 block of South State College Boulevard.
Then, at 12:48 PM, a third incident involving three overdose victims was reported in the 500 block of South Anaheim Boulevard. Two men were found deceased while a third was revived using Narcan, a drug that acts to reverse opioid overdoses, and rushed to an area hospital in critical condition.
Police say each of the deaths are believed to be associated with fentanyl or fentanyl-tainted drugs.
It was unclear if other cities had experienced a similar spike in overdose deaths.
The Orange County District Attorney’s office announced in late 2021 that drug dealers could be charged with murder in connection with fentanyl-related deaths.
The charges can come in cases where drug dealers or users have been previously admonished regarding the dangers of fentanyl.
At the time fentanyl-related deaths in Orange County had reportedly increased 1,000% since 2016.
