San Jose man charged with murder in overdose

CUPERTINO >> A 29-yearold San Jose man has been charged with murder for selling fentanyl to a 61-yearold Cupertino man, leading to his April overdose death, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said Dec. 7.

Manuel Anthony Luarodriguez

sold fentanyl to Jeffrey Diaz, who was found dead April 26 in his home, according to prosecutors. Sheriff's investigators searched Diaz's cell phone, determining that he bought fentanyl from Luarodriguez 10 days before his body was discovered.

The day of the sale was the last day the victim used his cell phone, prosecutors said. Security video footage recovered by investigators captured evidence of the deal, authorities added.

“Fentanyl is poison,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “When someone sells poison to someone knowing that they could die — and they die — they will be prosecuted.”

Luarodriguez knew of the dangers associated with the drug prior to selling it to the victim, prosecutors said. Investigators observed Luarodriguez perform fentanyl deals with other buyers, sometimes warning his customers to be careful because the drug was “potentially deadly.”

Prosecutors said Luarodriguez himself had previously overdosed on the drug.

“This is a landmark case in an effort to hold perpetrators accountable for their intentional criminal actions that have known, deadly consequences,” the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid whose use is causing a skyrocketing number of deaths. Last year, the drug was responsible for 1 in 5 five deaths among people ages 15-24.

The synthetic opioid is commonly found in powder form or in counterfeit prescription pills. Two milligrams, an amount small enough to fit in the tip of a pencil, is considered a lethal dose for the average person, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

Anyone with information related to the case can contact the Sheriff's Office anonymous tip line at 408808-4420.