Riverside County DA Charges LA Man, Woman In Fentanyl Bust

MURRIETA (CBSLA) — A man and a woman were arrested Tuesday night in Murrieta on suspicion transportation of narcotics for sale, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office announced.

According to the D.A.'s office, members of the county's Gang Impact Team were tipped that 45-year-old Cristobal Chavez and 39-year-old Yesica Hernandez, both of Los Angeles, were allegedly bringing fentanyl into the county to sell.

The pair were located on Murrieta Hot Springs Road, near Interstate 215, where they were stopped and searched. During the search, roughly 4.5 pounds of powdered fentanyl was seized, according to the D.A.'s office, which said the shipment had a street value of $200,000.

"It only takes about two milligrams of fentanyl to potentially be lethal for most people," the office said in a statement. "For perspective of how small that amount is, it takes 5,000 milligrams to make one teaspoon."

According to Sheriff Chad Bianco, the number of lethal fentanyl overdoses increased 300% countywide between 2018 and 2020.

In the last two weeks, three county residents have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with deaths from fentanyl toxicity. The charges follow last month's announcement by Bianco and D.A. Mike Hestrin that the county was introducing an aggressive strategy to crack down on dealers.

Both Chavez and Hernandez were booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. Hernandez was being held in lieu of $200,000 bail. Custody information on Chavez was not immediately available.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)