A seventh teen was a ‘victim’ of ingesting pills believed to be linked to the death last week of a 15-year-old girl who was a student at Bernstein High School in Hollywood, the LAPD said Tuesday.
The latest incident happened over the weekend, an LAPD official confirmed, but the department could not provide details on the age of the person or the circumstances.
Last week, a student named Melanie Ramos overdosed and died on campus after ingesting pills she and a friend reportedly purchased from a 15-year-old boy, who was arrested and now faces a manslaughter charge.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Ramos’ friend survived and was treated in a hospital.
A 16-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of selling narcotics. The two arrested were students at an independent charter school that’s located on the Bernstein High School campus.
In addition to Ramos and her friend, the LAPD now says five other ‘young people’ were treated after ingesting similar pills.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the Board of Police Commissioners Tuesday morning that lab tests have confirmed pills found during the arrests of the 15- and 16-year-old boys contained fentanyl, a synthetic opiate blamed for an increasing number of overdoses and deaths.
Moore said detectives along with the DEA were investigating the source of the counterfeit pills, describing the teens facing charges as “pawns” being used by a larger illegal drug enterprise.
