Fentanyl Poisoning Suspect in Custody

October 1, 2024 – Riverside County Sheriff's Office officials report that on July 28, 2020, at 10:08 a.m., personnel from the San Jacinto Sheriff’s Station were dispatched to the 1900 block of Warwick Street in San Jacinto regarding an unresponsive juvenile. Deputies and paramedics performed lifesaving measures, but the teenager was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau determined the teenager died as a result of fentanyl poisoning. In September 2022, the case was assumed by the Riverside Sheriff’s Office’s Overdose Death Investigations and Narcotics Unit (ODIN). Investigators worked to identify the suspect responsible for selling the fentanyl that killed the teenager. As a result of their efforts, the suspect was identified as Julius Brown, a 20-year-old resident of Hemet.

On September 3, 2024, the investigation was presented to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, and charges were filed against Brown for murder. During the investigation, personnel from ODIN learned Brown was in custody in Arizona for an unrelated case. Once Brown has cleared his cases in Arizona, he will be transferred to the custody of the Riverside Sheriff’s Office to face the murder charge.

This investigation is ongoing, and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Investigator Hollingsworth at 951-654-2702. 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 Supervisor:  Sergeant Sean Liebrand

File # I202100041

Source: Riverside County Sheriff's Office