EBR deputies arrest woman accused of selling fentanyl to man who later overdosed
BATON ROUGE — A woman accused of selling drugs to a man who later overdosed has been arrested by East Baton Rouge Parish deputies on murder charges.
According to deputies, 27-year-old Austin Cruz overdosed on July 2.
In Cruz's pocket, deputies found two suspect Xanax pills inside a clear plastic bag and a pill bottle containing a plastic straw and a plastic bag with white powder.
Coroner investigators conducted a presumptive toxicology test, which showed positive results for fentanyl, THC, opioids, TCA and barbiturates. A more comprehensive coroner's report identified fentanyl overdose as his cause of death.
The 27 ng/mL of fentanyl in Cruz's blood was within the concentration range of 9.7 and 41.3 ng/mL typically found in overdoses, the coroner's report pointed out.
There were no initial signs of foul play, but it was later determined that, one day before his death, 27-year-old Montronnik Johnson sold Cruz drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, which were both found in his system.
A review of Johnson's phone records, as well as a scan of her license plate the day the drugs were sold, placed her near Cruz's home before his overdose death.
Trending News
Johnson was arrested on Tuesday on one count of second-degree murder.
WBRZ has asked authorities to identify the man killed in the overdose.