Two people died and two others were hospitalized following what was believed to be an overdose at a home in University Heights on Thursday, the San Diego Police Department said.
Authorities were called at 5:41 a.m. to a home on the 4300 block of Louisiana Street for a report of four unresponsive people. There, first responders resuscitated two people with Narcan and declared two others dead.
San Diego News
The identities of the deceased have not been shared, but SDPD Chief David Nisleit said both individuals were in their 30s and one was a woman while the other was a man. The two individuals who were resuscitated were hospitalized soon after.
It is unclear what the group may have ingested, but SDPD believes they may have overdosed. A homicide investigation is now underway.
Later in the day, a spokeswoman for the DEA confirmed to NBC 7 that drugs were found at the home.
"We will not know the exact cause of death until the medical examiner releases toxicology reports; however, fentanyl was found on scene," Kameron Korte of the DEA stated in an email sent Thursday afternoon.
The response comes as San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria spoke on Thursday about the impact fentanyl has caused on the community.
"In two years of being mayor, this happens a lot. It happens way too much and we can’t stand for it," Gloria said of the incident. "While [fentanyl] is relatively new, the way it’s conveyed and given to people is relatively new and different, our resolve to tackle this is not new. We will enforce laws, we will change laws if necessary and we will use the kinds of collaborations and relationships that we have here and elsewhere to get this under control."
Nisleit echoed those sentiments in saying opioid overdoses are tragically common in the region.
“This is a daily call for ourselves and for Fire-Rescue," he said at the press conference. "This is not a unique case, unfortunately, and that’s why we’re talking about it. This is a daily case. Our officers, and I know our fire-rescue and our medics, are administering Narcan on that seems like the daily.”
According to the county, more than 900 people in San Diego County died in 2021 due to accidental opioid overdoses. Additionally, the first quarter of 2022 saw a 14% increase in accidental opioid deaths compared to the same period a year ago, the county announced.
