Santa Rosa authorities are investigating the deaths of two high school students who allegedly overdosed on fentanyl over the weekend. Two additional students remain hospitalized after a separate suspected overdose incident on Saturday, while a former student, 19, also reportedly died from drug-related causes. Police said they do not believe the cases are connected.
A 21-year-old man, Ramon Nunez, was arrested Sunday in connection with the two fatal overdoses. He is facing multiple charges, including second-degree homicide and furnishing narcotics to minors.
The first overdose incident occurred early Saturday morning when two teenage girls, ages 14 and 16, were found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital. Both survived.
Later that evening, around 8:15 p.m., a friend checking on two classmates entered a home in the 2100 block of Brookwood Drive and discovered a 16-year-old girl from Santa Rosa High and an 18-year-old Montgomery High student unconscious in bed. Emergency responders pronounced both teens dead at the scene.
Authorities believe the victims in both incidents thought they were buying cocaine but were instead exposed to fentanyl. It remains unclear whether the substance was laced with fentanyl or if it was pure fentanyl misrepresented as another drug.
Nunez was taken into custody around 12:45 p.m. Sunday in a parking lot on Santa Rosa Avenue. A passenger in his vehicle was detained but later released after investigators determined he was not involved. Nunez remains in the Sonoma County Jail without bail.
Montgomery High students mourned the loss of the 18-year-old victim, identified by classmates as Logan. A sign outside the school read, “Long Live Logan.”
Superintendent Dr. Daisy Morales emphasized the need for community support, saying, “Our hearts are broken by the loss of these young lives. As a community, we must unite to support one another and find strength in our shared grief.”
SRCS has made grief counselors available for students and staff. The district is working closely with law enforcement on the investigation. Authorities urge anyone with information about the Santa Rosa fentanyl overdose case to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department.
