Suspects arrested in deadly fentanyl overdose of Riverside man

Tony Kurzweil
·2 min read
2

Two recently arrested suspects and a third suspect who was already in custody are facing murder charges in the fentanyl-related death of a Riverside man who overdosed in November, police announced on Wednesday.

Riverside residents Jaclyn Sherman, 30, and Miguel Garcia, 37, have been arrested and booked on suspicion of murder in the death of 35-year-old Christopher Lucia, the Riverside Police Department stated in its news release.

A narcotics unit began investigating the case in November after Lucia overdosed and was taken to a local hospital where he tested positive for fentanyl. Lucia never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead a few days later on November 13.

Jaclyn Sherman (L) and Miguel Garcia are seen in images provided by the Riverside Police Department.
Jaclyn Sherman (L) and Miguel Garcia are seen in images provided by the Riverside Police Department.

“Over the course of their investigation, detectives identified two people suspected of supplying the fentanyl to Christopher, as well as the person suspected of being their source of fentanyl,” the news release stated.

Detectives served multiple search warrants and seized nearly a pound of powdered fentanyl and 11 firearms, police said.

Investigators say they also found evidence that Sherman and Garcia continued to sell fentanyl after Lucia’s death.

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Both Sherman and Garcia are being held in custody on $1 million bail.

In addition to the murder charge, Sherman was booked on suspicion of possession of illegal narcotics for the purpose of sales.

Jurupa Valley resident David Ray Mullins, 46, is currently in custody with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for illegal narcotics and weapons violations and will also be charged with murder, according to the police department.

David Mullins is seen in an image provided by the Riverside Police Department.
David Mullins is seen in an image provided by the Riverside Police Department.

A fourth suspect was also arrested and booked on suspicion of fentanyl possession.

“The death toll from fentanyl overdoses in Riverside County continues to rise and put all our community members at risk,” stated Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez. “We won’t stop fighting to rid this deadly poison from our neighborhoods.”

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information was asked to contact Detective Levesque at 951-353-7216 or SLevesque@RiversideCA.gov.

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