Justice Is Coming, LAUSD Superintendent Warns Dealer In Teen Overdoses

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho vowed to see a drug dealer believed to be behind multiple teen overdoses brought to justice Wednesday.

The pledge came as he met with the parents of a 15-year-old girl who died in an apparent fentanyl overdose in the bathroom of Bernstein High School in Hollywood Tuesday. Authorities believe her death may be linked to the overdoses of three other teens hospitalized Tuesday.

As paramedics treated two overdosing girls at the high school on Tuesday, authorities learned of two more teen overdoses at a nearby Lexington Park. Investigators believe the cases are connected. They are among the latest in a series of student overdoses plaguing Los Angeles County since dealers began lacing drugs with the highly addictive and deadly fentanyl over the last few years.

After meeting with the parents of the 15-year-old girl who he said "perished at this school on the coldness of a bathroom floor," Carvalho issued a warning to the unnamed drug dealer suspected in the overdoses.

"... For the individual who apparently for a number of weeks has been spreading pain, destruction and now death -- rest assured, we are going to use the full weight and muscle of this school system, the full weight of the city's law enforcement entity, the (Drug Enforcement Administration), to know who you are, who the people behind you are," Carvalho said. "And we shall bring justice to the grieving parents at this school and all schools in our community."

Carvalho said he has spoken to City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, and said Lexington Park has been closed.

In addition to the girl who died Tuesday, the three other students were recovering in hospitals Wednesday after apparently ingesting the drug purchased in Lexington Park.

According to police and Los Angeles Unified School District officials, the situation unfolded around 8 p.m. Tuesday, when a man went to Bernstein High School, 1309 N. Wilton Place, in search of his stepdaughter, who had not returned from school.

He found the girl suffering from apparent overdose symptoms, although she was still conscious and was able to tell him that one of her friends was in the girl's bathroom, officials said. The man found the other girl unresponsive in the bathroom, where she died.

The other 15-year-old girl was taken to a hospital in stable condition, LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantes told City News Service.

LAPD investigator Lt. John Radtke told reporters the students apparently went to the park and purchased some type of pills, thinking it was the pain killer Percocet, but the pills appeared to have been laced with fentanyl.

"They went to buy Percocet (an opioid pain reliever), ingested a pill and began to feel ill almost immediately," Radtke told Fox11.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to two other calls of overdoses in the area of Lexington Park.

The dead girl's name was being withheld pending family notification.

Ninth-grader Chey Payne, told the Los Angeles Times kids have been doing drugs since middle school but that overdoses are becoming more common among her high school peers in the school district.

“I know people don’t take it seriously and think it’s cool to do that stuff,” she said, “but it really could affect your family and others around you.”

Naomi Coarado, 14, told the times the overdoses have made her more careful about whom to trust.

“Just be careful if anyone offers you something because you never know what they put in it,” she told the newspaper.

In June, the Los Angeles Unified School District issued a warning to parents about the fentanyl overdoses.

SEE ALSO:

• LAUSD Parents Warned Of Drug Trend With Deadly Consequences
• 3 Teen Girls Overdose At Santa Monica Apartment: Police
• Actor Charged In Hollywood Drug Ring Linked To Fatal Overdose
• $20M Fentanyl Bust Is Largest In California History
• Alleged Dealers Accused Of Tricking Mac Miller In Fatal OD

Authorities warned parents that children have been purchasing drugs online. In some cases, the teens unknowingly bought fentanyl-laced drugs, leading to near-fatal overdoses. The unusual alert was sent out after three girls ingested fentanyl-laced drugs and overdosed in Santa Monica.

The teens thought they were buying ecstasy online. All three were hospitalized in critical condition. A letter from the school district's medical director sent to parents said the students suffered "neurological consequences" after ingesting the fentanyl-laced drugs.

"We encourage you to have discussions with your child about making healthy choices and about the dangers of ingesting any illicit drugs," the district urged in June.

In the meantime, LAUSD issued a statement saying the district was working closely with the LAPD.

"As we work together with LAPD to uncover details of this tragic situation, our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of both students. We also thank everyone for their understanding and support today and we will share more information as it becomes available," according to the district.

Anyone with information was asked to contact West Bureau Homicide investigators at 213-382-9470 or 877-LAPD-24-7. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

Carvalho decried the overdoses Wednesday from the Hollywood campus where they occurred.

"That should not be the case, not in this school," the Superintendent said. "Not in any school in Los Angeles or across our country, but that's the situation we're facing."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed.