Man guilty in teen’s fentanyl death

An Aurora man who gave fentanyl to a 16-year-old girl during a party at his apartment then failed to get help for the girl when she overdosed and died, was convicted this week of manslaughter among other criminal charges.

Jorge Alexander CheQuiab, 26, was found guilty of manslaughter — rather than the original charge of first-degree murder — Tuesday by an Arapahoe County jury following a sixday trial, according to the district attorney’s office.

The jury also acquitted Che-quiab of a felony murder charge, but it returned guilty verdicts on two counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor, two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and sexual assault of a child.

On Aug. 7, 2020, Aurora police responded to CheQuiab’s home on a report of an overdose, according to a DA’S news release. Investigators determined that Che-quiab had supplied alcohol, marijuana and fentanyl to a group of underage girls at his residence.

“Che-quiab admitted to police that one of the girls appeared to be suffering from symptoms of overdose but decided to go to sleep rather than seek medical attention on her behalf,” the release said.

In the morning, people at the gathering found the victim, who was not breathing, and called 911. Alexis Krzystek died at the scene. Che-quiab flushed drugs down a toilet before police and paramedics arrived. He also was convicted Tuesday of sexually assaulting a 14year-old girl whom he plied with alcohol.

Investigators found about 300 pills containing fentanyl, disguised as blue “M-30” Oxycodone pills, as well as several bricks of heroin, in Che-quiab’s apartment, according to prosecutors.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 21. CheQuiab faces a prison term of eight to 116 years to life.