A suspect connected to the death of a 17-year-old girl was apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border nearly two years after the tragic incident.
Michael Garcia, a 23-year-old resident of Desert Hot Springs, was arrested on August 26 on suspicion of unlawfully furnishing a controlled substance to a minor and felony child endangerment.
This case dates back to August 21, 2022, when personnel from the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station responded to a call of an unresponsive female juvenile in the 15000 block of Via Quedo in the unincorporated area of Desert Hot Springs. The victim was found unresponsive in a bedroom, and despite life-saving efforts, she was ultimately pronounced deceased.
The investigation determined that the juvenile had overdosed on fentanyl.
Investigators identified Garcia as being the suspect responsible for providing the fentanyl that led to the victim’s death, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
The Riverside District Attorney’s Office Investigations Bureau and the US Marshals Service assisted in locating Garcia, who fled to Mexico. Numerous law enforcement agencies were employed to locate Garcia. After two years on the run, Garcia was arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border and subsequently booked into custody at the John Benoit Detention Center.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Sergeant Jim Peters at 951-486-6700 or Investigator Dan Shaffer at 951-955-1700.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department wants to remind citizens of the dangers of illicit narcotics, many of which may contain Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times stronger than morphine and can cause death or serious bodily harm.
