Shannon Stapleton/Reuters. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Preliminary data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shows that at least 767 people died of fentanyl overdoses in 2021, though deaths in the last three months are still being counted and the final number will be higher. The bodies of three women and two men were discovered around 3:45 p.m. inside a home at The North Range Crossings Apartments at 14480 E. 104th Avenue, Commerce City police Chief Clint Nichols said. The Commerce City Police Department was investigating. Police said Sunday substances that can "be described as illicit narcotics" were located in the apartment. A sixth adult and a 4-month-old child survived. A sixth adult and a 4-month-old child survived. Posted: Feb 21, 2022 / 11:30 AM MST. Carry these 2 items, No drug is safe right now, DA warns after 5 die of overdose, Windshield covers and other handy gear you need for, 18 trendy cowboy boots to wear this winter, 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, Global stocks lower after inflation fuels rate fears, Labor judge: Starbucks violated worker rights in, Man loses hundreds in free PlayStation scam on YouTube, Neighbors in Firestone upset about 2 dog parks closing, Bill to allow supervised drug-use sites advances, New tool helps identify unknown and missing people, Brighton students certified in patient care, Just cause eviction bill passes in committee, What to do if a car is merging into your lane, 13 stylish black tights to wear this winter, See winning designs for new Colorado license plates, Teen shot near East High School dies 3 weeks after, Denver weather: Tracking the next snow chances, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. And we have more deaths. There are five folks who are dead. Is comparing Colorado Springs' and Denver's homeless populations fair or unfair? Colorado nonprofits like Access Point Colorado (303-837-1501) and the Harm Reduction Action Center (303-572-7800) offer supplies like naloxone and fentanyl test strips. An average of two Coloradans died of fentanyl overdoses every day in the first nine months of 2021, state data shows. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. First published on February 20, 2022 / 6:26 PM. March 01, 2023 5:44 PM. Detectives and crime scene investigators are at the scene, alongside victim advocates. Mason said it was miraculous that one person survived the incident. Email: oliviaprentzel@coloradosun.com Cora is currently in the hospital but doesnt remember what happened, according to her family. Police in Commerce City responded to a call about 3:45 p.m. about several unconscious adults at the North Range Crossings Apartments in the suburb 7 miles northeast of Denver. These folks dropped to the ground almost instantly after taking the drug. DENVER (KDVR) Two of the five people who died in a suspected overdose in a Commerce City apartment were the parents of a 4-month-old found alive at the scene, friends and family say. It is the nightmare scenario of the dangers of fentanyl, he said. When you distribute drugs and it results in someones death and you are, essentially, on notice that you could be doing this, its not the same as when you distribute drugs and someone is feeding their addiction, he said, adding that he does not want to see increased criminal penalties for people suffering from addiction. She previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue. Police tape is stretched out Monday at an apartment building at 14480 E. 104th Ave. in Commerce City, where five people were found dead Sunday night. The Associated Press contributed to this story. They first received a report about five unconscious adults inside a home in the 14400 block of 104th Avenue. Karina Joy Rodriguez was one of five people found dead in a Commerce City apartment on Feb. 20, 2022, after they took cocaine laced with fentanyl. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. Police in Commerce City are investigating after five adults were found dead inside an apartment unit Sunday afternoon. Denver residents can request fentanyl testing strips and naloxone from the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment via an online form. The five people who died inside a Commerce City apartment over the weekend likely overdosed unintentionally on fentanyl, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason said Monday. by: Dara Bitler. Officers and medical personnel from the South Adams County Fire Department responded to the apartment complex in the 14400 block of East 104th Avenue around 3:45 p.m. on a report of several unconscious people, according to a news release from the Commerce City Police Department. For a map of pharmacies that provide naloxone, check stoptheclockcolorado.org. The Moving can be an exciting experience. A sixth adult and a 4-month-old child survived. Access all of our premium content, get unlimited digital access and more! The names and ages of all the victims were not immediately available. He said it was unclear if the babys parents were among the deceased adults found in the apartment. A piece of police tape is left Monday at an apartment building in Commerce City where five people were found dead Sunday night. Here's why. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, UK is grappling with vegetable shortages. Updated: Feb 21, 2022 / 08:29 AM MST. Preliminary figures from the state Department of Public Health and Environment showed fentanyl was involved in more overdose deaths in 2021 than in any previous year, outpacing the combined totals from 2015 to 2019. An early morning missile strike on a five-story apartment block in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, left at least two people dead, city officials said on Thursday, March 2. Another pending case is that of a 21-year-old Boulder County man who was charged with manslaughter in December after authorities there said he sold pills laced with fentanyl that resulted in a womans fatal overdose, Boulders Daily Camera newspaper reported. People with substance use or mental health disorders can also contact Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. Fentanyl is ravaging our community right now, Mason said. FOX31 and Channel 2 are still working to confirm the last two victims identities. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. She joined the paper in 2019 and previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Who makes the best hot chicken sandwich in Denver? Drug dealers and the drug cartels are lacing these other drugs with fentanyl because its cheaper for them to do that and then it gets more people addicted. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. ( KDVR) The mother of a 4-month-old was one of the five dead adults found in an apartment with the baby Sunday afternoon. 5 found dead in Commerce City apartment 7,380 views Feb 20, 2022 179 Dislike Share Save 9NEWS 219K subscribers Investigators are working to determine how the people died. "If it was drugs, no one was able to get to a phone to call 911 for a medical emergency," said Clint Nichols, Commerce City chief of police. Fentanyl is dangerous. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue, and in 2020 she was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for an investigation into child sexual abuse among Amish and Mennonite communities. The scene was like a mass homicide scene. Even without full data for the last three months, the 2021 death toll is a 42% increase from the 540 deaths recorded in 2020. One of the adults survived, but five died from what investigators believe was cocaine laced with fentanyl. Not for the "stupid price" of $150 an acre foot. 5 things we know about 5 people found dead in Commerce City apartment by: Dara Bitler. It's a terrible situation. ""We don't know what the substance is inside the apartment," he said explaining why hazmat team also at scene. A sixth person was alive and was taken to the hospital. That case is pending trial. Its rare but not unheard of for drug dealers in Colorado to be charged with murder in connection to overdose deaths. Both the adult and the baby are expected to survive; its unclear if the babys parents were among the dead. The five are believed to have died of suspected fentanyl overdoses. Shes been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice. COMMERCE CITY, CO Five people were found dead in a Commerce City apartment Sunday, police said. I think this investigation is going to take a while, but were going to do as much as we can to get to the bottom of what happened.. In 2015, for comparison, 41 overdose deaths involved fentanyl. Five people were found dead Sunday inside an apartment in Commerce City. In limited cases, were even seeing it with marijuana.. Nine months after finding the five people dead inside apartment 307, Celina, Cora, and Sam's older sister died of an overdose. Choking or gurgling sounds COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The five people found dead in an apartment Sunday afternoon from suspected fentanyl overdoses have been identified. ft. apartment is a 2 bed, 2.5 bath unit. While they thought that most of them were unconscious, one of the parties was awake and was transported by medical, Commerce City Police Chief Clint Nichols said. Police tape can be seen in the dumpster near an apartment building at 14480 East 104th Avenue where five people were found dead Sunday night, as seen on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, in Commerce City, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/The Denver Gazette), North Range Crossings Apartments, on East 104th Avenue in Commerce City. Feds sue water company for rupture damaging Rocky Mountain National Park -- again, Family gets unexpected bill after Kaiser Permanente Colorado software error that resulted in refunds to thousands, Skygazers will have a great view Wednesday of two planets that look like they are almost touching. February 22, 2022 / 4:28 PM / CBS Colorado COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - The names of the five people who were found dead in a Commerce City apartment building after suspected drug use. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Of those 1,581 people, 618 died of methamphetamine, 227 died of cocaine, 167 died of heroin and 55 of alcohol. The 4-month-old was found alive with a. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid considered 10 times more deadly than heroin, has resulted in a surge of deaths in Colorado and is now the leading cause of fatal overdoses in the state. "They were awesome people," the man said. Police in Commerce City are investigating after five adults were found dead inside an apartment unit Sunday afternoon. The DAs office is continuing to work with the Commerce City Police Department and the North Metro Drug Task Force on early investigations. According to the coroner's office in Adams County, the five victims were identified as: Sabas Daniel Marquez, 24. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Last month, a Longmont man was charged with manslaughter after a woman died from swallowing a pill marketed as oxycodone but actually containing fentanyl. District Attorney: 5 Deaths At Commerce City Apartment Were Fentanyl Related. No drug is safe, Mason said. That case is pending trial. + Union Station Changes + No Trash, Larimer Square's Crumbling + 13 City Council Seats, 41+ Candidates, National Guard For Space + Gas Prices Down + Englewood Affordability, Live Music & Great Food at SUPERMARKET NIGHTS VOL2 - Promo Code CHOICE20. This is the nightmare scenario. Commerce City police found the bodies of three women and two men around 3:45 p.m. Sunday inside a home at the North Range Crossings Apartments at 14480 E. 104th Ave. A 29-year-old woman and a 4-month-old infant were in the apartment but survived, Commerce City police Chief Clint Nichols said Sunday night. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Mason told The Denver Gazette Monday that early evidence at the scene suggests the deceased thought they were taking cocaine when it was actually fentanyl, which is an unpredictable and powerful synthetic painkiller blamed for driving an increase in fatal drug overdoses. The identities of the deceased will be released at a later time. Police in Commerce City are investigating after five adults were found dead inside an apartment unit Sunday afternoon. He declined to speculate on whether charges would be filed against the person who provided the drugs to the five victims. Some of the victims lived inside the apartment, police say, but it's not clear the relation, if any, among the victims. A sixth adult and a 4-month-old child survived. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The deaths of five people found in a Commerce City apartment Sunday were likely linked to fentanyl, of a powerful synthetic opioid, according to Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason. Among the dead were three white women ages 28, 29 and 32 and two Hispanic men ages 24 and 32. While fatal fentanyl overdoses are skyrocketing across Colorado, there have only been a few death charges. Phil Washington Going To D.C.? Mason said it was miraculous that one person survived the incident. It is rare for the DEA to be involved at this stage in an investigation, but given the number of deaths and the huge crisis that fentanyl is posing to Colorado, we want them to be involved and they want to be involved, Mason said. No drug is safe, Mason said. He said the drug has been found laced in cocaine, heroin, meth, OxyContin and in limited cases marijuana. Mason said investigators will want to talk to anyone who could have information about what may have happened. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. The friend did talk on the condition of anonymity. A friend of the victims identified them for Denver7, but out of respect for the family, we are not releasing names until confirmed by Commerce City police. Five adults were found dead in a Colorado apartment Sunday after officials say they consumed a deadly amount of fentanyl apparently believing it was cocaine. Five adults were found dead in a Colorado apartment Sunday after officials say they consumed a deadly amount of fentanyl apparently believing it was cocaine. They said no hazardous gas was detected inside the unit. Mason, who was at the scene Sunday, is working alongside Commerce City police and North Metro Drug Task Force. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. No drug is safe right now, Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason said. The infant was also transported to a hospital. The five are believed to have died of. Fentanyl has been surging in Colorado for the last two years, Mason said, as drugmakers use the cheaper, more addictive option to boost their profits.Preliminary data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shows that at least 767 people died of fentanyl overdoses in 2021, though deaths in the last three months are still being counted and the final number will be higher. Commerce City police are heading up the investigation into the deaths, along with the North Metro Drug Task Force and the district attorneys office, Mason said. Eleven people were hospitalized, and 20 evacuated from the heavily damaged building. In limited cases, were even seeing it with marijuana.. According to the family, the baby is doing fine and is with family. DENVER (KDVR) Two of the five people who died in a suspected overdose in a Commerce City apartment were the parents of a 4-month-old found alive at the scene, friends and family say. Police said 'illicit narcotics' found inside residence. Colorados age-adjusted rate of fentanyl overdoses has increased fivefold from the rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people recorded in 2018 to 9.29 in 2020. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said Monday that the deaths in Commerce City show prosecutors and investigators need more resources in order to better address surging fentanyl use. All five likely died almost instantly, he said. The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation alongside Commerce City police and the 17th Judicial District Attorneys Office. Comments are open to Gazette subscribers only. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. The other adult who was transported "appears to be lucid. All Rights Reserved second-degree murder and was sentenced 5 dead in commerce city apartment 18 years in prison victims identities previously worked as crime... 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