Deputy rushes woman to Victorville hospital after suffering fentanyl overdose

A deputy rushed a female suspect to a Victorville hospital after she reportedly swallowed an unknown amount of fentanyl and was later found unresponsive inside his patrol vehicle.

Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station officials reported that at 7:50 p.m. on Thursday, July 20, Deputy K. Hillebrand was patrolling the Victor Valley Transit Authority system when he was flagged down by an employee of a retail business in Hesperia.

The employee told Deputy Hillebrand that a woman at the location had possibly committed a theft. The suspect was later identified as Rebecca Lee Gregoire, 31, of Hesperia.

The deputy contacted Gregoire near the corner of Main Street and Cataba Road in Hesperia and discovered the theft was unfounded, however, she have several outstanding arrest warrants for theft. She was arrested without incident, sheriff’s officials said.

While transporting Gregoire to the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto, Deputy Hillebrand recognized that she had become silent in the backseat of his vehicle.

The deputy attempted to wake Gregoire but could not. He immediately pulled over and revived her momentarily, according to sheriff’s officials.

Deputy Hillebrand determined that the suspect had swallowed an unknown amount of fentanyl to hide it from him when he approached her, sheriff’s officials said.

With lights and sirens, Deputy Hillebrand transported Gregoire to Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville.

Hospital medical staff, who were advised of the situation, met the deputy and Gregoire and administered NARCAN to the suspect, who arrived unresponsive. She was revived and admitted into the hospital for further treatment, sheriff's officials reported.

The suspect's condition is unknown.

In October, San Bernardino County Health officials issued a health advisory to bring attention to the dangers of fentanyl due to a marked increase in overdose deaths in the county. In 2021, there were 354 fentanyl overdose deaths in the county.

In May 2022, the SBC Sheriff's Department approved NARCAN for field use. It was implemented in late 2022 following extensive training.

Since then, deputies in the High Desert have used NARCAN on suspects who have overdosed, the Daily Press reported.

The brand NARCAN, or naloxone, is an opioid antagonist. It attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine.

Approval of NARCAN by the sheriff's department came through a collaborative effort with the California Department of Public Health's Naloxone Grant Program, the Inland Counties Emergency Medical Agency, and the SBC Board of Supervisors.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Deputy K. Hillebrand at the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station at 760-552-6800. Callers can remain anonymous by contacting We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or wetip.com.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Woman rushed to Victorville hospital after suffering fentanyl overdose