An alleged gang associate was behind bars Thursday for allegedly supplying a dose of fentanyl that killed a 25-year-old Escondido woman last month.
Investigators believe that Danny Nunez, 25, supplied the highly toxic drug to the victim, who was found unconscious and unresponsive in her bedroom on Sept. 12, according to the Escondido Police Department.
Patrol officers tried in vain to revive the woman prior to the arrival of paramedics, who took over the lifesaving attempts before pronouncing her dead.
Narcotics paraphernalia found next to the body of the woman, whose name has not been released, tested positive for fentanyl, EPD Lt. Ryan Hicks said.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
Last Thursday, officers arrested Nunez at a home in the 1000 block of Paula Way in Escondido. During a search of the residence, they found fentanyl and "paraphernalia consistent with narcotics sales," the lieutenant said.
Nunez, an Escondido resident with suspected gang ties, was booked into federal custody in San Diego on suspicion of illegal possession of a controlled substance for sale. according to police, who did not disclose what led investigators to link him to the overdose death.
"The Escondido Police Department works aggressively to identify and hold accountable anyone who chooses to participate in the poisoning of our community through illicit fentanyl distribution," Hicks said.