Roseville police save 4 fentanyl overdose victims in 36 hours
ROSEVILLE — Roseville police say that in 36 hours, four people overdosed on fentanyl and were saved by officers carrying Narcan while on duty.
California is battling the fentanyl crisis head-on as it affects residents statewide.
The youngest of five boys, Marek Cole, had a big personality, despite saying very little.
"He is on the spectrum he is autistic. He is verbal but anti-social," said his mother, Mareka Cole.
Cole loved to skateboard and hang out with friends and family - but this past Thanksgiving - Marek died of a drug overdose.
"We went to the store gone for maybe an hour," said his mother.
When Marek's mother returned home, she expected her son's typical greeting.
"Usually, he's like, 'where's mom? Where's mom is mom?' I get to his room, and I'm knocking on the door and calling his name, and there's no response," she said.
"I immediately started CPR and told my husband to call 911," Cole continued.
According to the CDC, more than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses in 2021.
California contributed thousands to the total, including Marek's young life.
"We are seeing an alarming increase in fentanyl-related overdoses," says Roseville Police Department spokesperson Rob Baquera.
The Roseville Police Department says in the last 36 hours - four residents have overdosed - saved only by Narcan.
"These individuals were extremely lucky. We've seen it packaged with home pharmacies made in garages with pills presses ... and then sold on the black market to our kids, our family," Baquera said.
He continued, "We've had a few notable good cases lately where we were able to trace fentanyl-laced products back to home manufacturers. We want to hold people accountable who are selling fentanyl products."
The Placer County District Attorney's office is working on legislation that would allow them to file murder charges against drug dealers for contributing to deaths.
If you or anyone you know struggles with mental health or addiction-related issues, you can call 211 for access to resources.If you or anyone you know struggles with mental health or addiction-related issues, you can call 211 for access to resources.