April 2, 2023 - Riverside County Sheriff's Office officials report that on October 11, 2022, at 4:14 PM, deputies from the Southwest Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to a local hospital regarding an unresponsive 10-month-old juvenile who was brought in by the parents. At the hospital, medical staff administered Narcan, a drug used to reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose, which had a positive result. Members of the Special Victims Unit (SVU) and the Drug Endangered Children’s Unit (DEC) responded to the hospital. A presumptive test of the victim’s urine returned positive for opiates. Due to the possibility of a fentanyl poisoning, SVU and DEC requested assistance from the Overdose Death Investigations and Narcotics Unit (ODIN) who arrived and assumed the investigation.  During the investigation, it was determined the juvenile’s parents, Alicia Rubio (31) and David Carmona (33), from Temecula, were fentanyl users and their 10-month-old child ingested a portion of their fentanyl. Investigators authored several search warrants for blood samples and the residence. A search of the residence revealed 10 fentanyl-laced “M-30” pills and paraphernalia. Toxicology results confirmed Rubio, Carmona, and the victim’s blood tested positive for fentanyl.

The investigation was eventually handed over to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for filing. On March 15, 2023, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office filed felony Willful Child Cruelty and Great Bodily Injury charges against Rubio and Carmona. This was a joint investigation utilizing the Special Victim’s Unit, the Drug Endangered Children’s Unit, and the Overdose Death Investigations Unit.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Master Investigator Cornett at 951-955-1700. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind citizens of the dangers of illicit narcotics, many of which may contain Fentanyl.  Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times stronger than morphine and can cause death or serious bodily harm.  

Reporting Deputy: Sergeant Sean Liebrand

File # TE222840143

Source: Riverside County Sheriff's Office