Columbus men among those who OD’D in Pittsburgh

One member of a Columbus band died and at least two other members were hospitalized in a suspected drug overdose involving seven people in Pittsburgh early Sunday.

Rubiel Clemente Martinez, 32, of the Far West Side, was found dead outside an elevator in the lobby of an apartment building on Pittsburgh’s South Side after police and EMS medics received a report of a man overdosing in the elevator, authorities said.

Two other men were pronounced dead inside an apartment where authorities believe cocaine laced with the powerful opioid fentanyl was passed around: Joel Pecina, 32, of Coraopolis, a West Hills suburb of Pittsburgh; and Jose Soberal Serrano, 38, of Carthage, Missouri, according to a criminal complaint.

Martinez was identified by federal authorities as a member of the Columbus band Viento Alegre (which translates to “Cheerful Wind”) and had lived in Columbus since at least 2003, according to court records. He attended Westland High School in the South-western school district, was married for 11 years and had been a member of the band since 2009, according to his Facebook page.

At least two of the three survivors found in the apartment are also believed to be a member of the band: Freddy Clemente Martinez, 35, also of Columbus’ Far West Side and believed to be related to Rubiel; and Pedroyale “Pedro” Ruiz, who posted video from the hospital Monday on his Facebook page.

It was not clear if the two other survivors — Gerardo Gutierrez, found in medical distress in the apartment, or another, unnamed victim found outside the apartment building at a nearby intersection — had any connection to the Columbus band, which is a large group that plays music native to northern Mexico.

The Dispatch could not reach the family of Rubiel Clemente Martinez or other band members Monday.

One survivor was taken in critical condition and the three others in stable condition to UPMC Mercy hospital, said Chris Togneri, a spokesman for Pittsburgh police.

Peter Rene Sanchez Montalvo, 25, of California, who goes by the first name “Carlos,” was arrested early Monday in Mckees Rocks, a western suburb of Pittsburgh, on federal charges of distributing a controlled substance resulting in death and serious bodily injury. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh on Monday, where a detention hearing was set for him Thursday. Additional charges are expected to be filed, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Pittsburgh.

Montalvo had attended a concert late Saturday night into early Sunday morning by Viento Alegre at the Insomnia Discotec in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood. Montalvo then went to an after-party that included members of the band, who agreed to perform for money at the South Side apartment building, according to an affidavit.

At the party, a witness said, a man later identified as Montalvo was “showing off all the money that he had” before taking a knife and cutting open a box of what the witness believed was cocaine, according to a criminal complaint. Montalvo then went around the room offering the powder on a knife for partygoers to snort.

When the witness refused, an altercation ensued and the witness fled. However, the witness had taken video of Montalvo flashing the money and passing around the suspected cocaine and turned it over to investigators, the complaint states.

The overdose victims who survived told investigators that they did a “bump” of the suspected cocaine and immediately began to feel adverse effects, an affidavit states.

Investigators believe that the overdose victims ingested cocaine laced with fentanyl, according to the affidavit. Togneri said Pittsburgh police narcotics and vice detectives continued to investigate Monday whether there was more of the deadly batch of drugs circulating in the area.

Investigators found Montalvo’s Social Security card and his driver’s license in the apartment, which was leased by someone else who had never lived there but was paid $500 to lease it for Montalvo and his cousin, the complaint states. The FBI complaint notes that this is a common practice among drug traffickers.