Arrests made in Bernstein High School fentanyl death, overdoses
Two teenage boys have been arrested in connection to the death of a 15-year-old girl and overdose of another teenage girl in Hollywood Wednesday.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michael Moore announced the arrests during a press conference Thursday afternoon. Moore was joined by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho.
The identification of the suspects will not be released since they are minors. Police only said one is 15 years old and the other is 16 years old.
Police found more drugs at the 15-year-old suspect's home. He lived with his grandmother.
One of the suspects was arrested while on his way to Bernstein High, according to the LAPD. Both of the suspects were not students at Bernstein High and instead attended Apex Academy an independent charter school operating on campus.
Both were booked on the suspicion of selling drugs, while one was booked on suspicion of manslaughter. Police are still searching for the dealer who provided the teens with the drugs to sell.
The 15-year-old girl, who died Wednesday evening after taking the Percocet laced with fentanyl, was identified as Melanie Ramos, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner. Her aunt said the high school sophomore had dreams of joining the Army.
"Stop poisoning our kids," said Ramos's aunt. "This has to stop. This can happen to anybody. Unfortunately, this happened to our family."
"Think of Melanie before you take anything," said another of her aunts. "Don't take anything you're not supposed to take."
Ramos was found unresponsive Wednesday evening by her stepfather and authorities inside a girls bathroom at Bernstein High School in Hollywood.
She's being remembered by her family as one of a kind, "with a little spice to herself. She wasn't your typical girl."
LAPD said that the suspects sold the fentanyl-laced Percocet to the victims at Lexington Park, which is less than a mile away from campus.
The two girls then sniffed the Percocet inside the bathroom where they were found.
Another victim, who did not overdose, denied treatment from first responders while the other two were revived by a drug called Narcan, a popular drug used during opioid overdoses.
Moore said that victim was sold the fentanyl-laced Percocet by one of the suspects.
One parent said the school didn't do enough to prevent the incident, and that they were aware of drug use amongst the students.
"They were aware of drug use and drug sale on the campus - during school, after school," said Imgdalia Torres, the mother of a student at the school.
Mayor Garcetti took to Twitter following the press conference, where he offered a solemn warning.
"Hear this: If you peddle death to our kids, we will come for you," the tweet said, followed by a second tweet that read: "This was not an overdose. This was murder. And my heart breaks with the families and children affected by this growing evil. We will not rest until justice is served."