Juvenile Fentanyl Poisoning Arrest 

July 1, 2023 - Riverside County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on January 14, 2023, at 9:21 p.m., personnel from the Riverside Sheriff’s Cabazon Station were dispatched to a call of a missing juvenile in the 12400 block of Dailey Road in Banning. The reporting party stated her missing juvenile was possibly at the location. Upon arrival, deputies located a deceased female in the backseat of a vehicle. During the investigation, the female was identified as Faith Alaniz, the missing 15-year-old female. Investigator Hood from the Cabazon Sheriff’s Station assumed the investigation. The Coroner’s Bureau ultimately determined Alaniz died as a result of fentanyl poisoning, and the case was immediately assumed by the Riverside Sheriff’s Office Overdose Death Investigations and Narcotics Unit (ODIN). Over the next several months, the investigation was relentlessly worked, and a suspect, James Dailey, a 51-year-old resident of Banning, was identified as the suspect responsible for Alaniz’s death. A Ramey warrant for murder was issued for Dailey.

On June 4, 2023, personnel from the Banning Police Department located Dailey, and he was taken into custody without incident. Dailey was later booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility for murder. On June 22, 2023, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office filed murder, felony child endangerment, and an enhancement for causing death to a juvenile.

This investigation is ongoing, and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Investigator Hollingsworth 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 # MG230140007

Source: Riverside County Sheriff’s Office