Probe underway into Los Altos High School student's death
South Bay authorities are investigating the death of a Los Altos High School student and the possibility it was related to fentanyl poisoning.
Police did not disclose the student's identity.
In a letter to the school community, the Mountain View Police Department said its investigation was in the “very early stages.” Authorities warned families of the “possibility of deadly narcotics being provided to students in our community.”
“We do not know if other students may be in possession of narcotics, nor do we know how the student who died obtained the narcotics or from whom,” the Mountain View Police Department said in a statement on Friday. “We are also actively investigating whether this is related to fentanyl poisoning. We know that a family is grieving, that a school community is grieving, and that we have pulled in every available resource to try and bring justice to the student and their family.”
The official cause of the student's death is still to be determined by the coroner's office.
Police said they are in constant contact with the school district about ways to provide outreach and education to staff and students.
Mountain View Los Altos School District administrators issued “sincere condolences” to the student's family, friends, and school community in a letter to the campus community.
Los Altos High School will have grief counselors offered on campus for staff and students to process the loss “for as long as needed.”
“Please know students are encouraged to reach out at any time to a teacher, counselor or other trusted adult on campus to talk — we are here to support you as you process this information,” the letter reads.
On the same day the teen was found, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez announced the formation of a fentanyl working group, which will include parents of children who have overdosed and died from the drug. The panel's initiatives will include a specialized enforcement team as well as a public service and social media campaign to get the word out about street drugs laced with fentanyl and the dangers of fentanyl.
“We will hold our first meeting on April 15 and get our work done in no more than three months because we know there's an urgent need,” Chavez said at a news conference.
Fentanyl is causing a rising number of deaths Santa Clara County, particularly among 18- to 25-year-olds, Chavez said. In 2019, there were 29 deaths from fentanyl. That increased to 90 in 2020.
“Most alarmingly, the number shot up to 135 deaths in 2021,” Chavez said. “In 2022, there have already been eight deaths.”
Fentanyl is estimated to be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, said Dr. Erin Woodhead, a member of the working group and an expert on addiction and substance abuse.
“Fentanyl is so strong,” Woodhead said. “Because of this there's such a high risk of overdose and that's compounded when people are using fentanyl with other drugs.”
Anyone with information related to the Mountain View case can contact Sgt. David Fisher at david. fisher@mountainview.gov.