Even without full data for the last three months, the 2021 death toll is a 42% increase from the 540 deaths recorded in 2020. Police said Sunday substances that can "be described as illicit narcotics" were located in the apartment. COMMERCE CITY | Five adults were found dead in a Commerce City apartment on Sunday along with substances described as "illicit narcotics," authorities said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Jenna Thompson. Officers responded to the North Range Crossing apartment complex. The coroners office will determine the cause of death, pending toxicology results. During a meeting with The Gazettes editorial board last week, Dr. Vikhyat Vik Bebarta, an emergency physician, medical toxicologist and professor of pharmacology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, said Were seeing a major increase in fentanyl-related doses, overdoses and deaths specifically, which is by far the majority of all the deaths around drug overdoses in Colorado and across the country.. The Moving can be an exciting experience. The cause of their deaths was not known, but they did not appear to be victims of violence, police said. Denver7 reporter Russell Haythorn contributed to this report. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. That case is pending trial. The deaths of five people whose bodies were found Sunday afternoon in a Commerce City apartment appeared to be fentanyl-related, according to 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason. She's been a reporter since 2012, focused on criminal justice, breaking news and enterprise. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Because any drug could literally have fentanyl in it without the user knowing. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. For a map of pharmacies that provide naloxone, check stoptheclockcolorado.org. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Shelly Bradbury is a breaking news reporter who joined The Denver Post in November 2019. The five adults three men and two women were found around 3:45 p.m. in the 14400 block of East 104th Avenue, Commerce City Police Chief Clint Nichols said in a news conference Sunday evening. They found five dead adults inside a home, police said. Because any drug could literally have fentanyl in it without the user knowing. The five people who died inside a Commerce City apartment over the weekend likely overdosed unintentionally on fentanyl, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason said Monday. The deaths of five people found in a Commerce City apartment Sunday were likely linked to fentanyl, of a powerful synthetic opioid, according to Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason. Fentanyl has been surging in Colorado for the last two years, Mason said, as drugmakers use the cheaper, more addictive option to boost their profits.Preliminary data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shows that at least 767 people died of fentanyl overdoses in 2021, though deaths in the last three months are still being counted and the final number will be higher. The five people who died inside a Commerce City apartment over the weekend likely overdosed unintentionally on fentanyl, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason said Monday. A sixth adult and a 4-month-old child survived. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Its rare but not unheard of for drug dealers in Colorado to be charged with murder in connection to overdose deaths. Five people were found dead Sunday inside an apartment in Commerce City. A Detroit family says their dog helped save their baby in a fire. "I've known them for 2 1/2 years and they were awesome people, so this is devastating for the community. DENVER (KDVR) Two of the five people who died in a suspected overdose in a Commerce City apartment were the parents of a 4-month-old found alive at the scene, friends and family say. Preliminary testing and other evidence suggest the five victims believed they were ingesting cocaine Sunday and did not realize the drug had been laced with fentanyl, Mason said. In total, six people were found in the apartment, along with the baby. For a map of pharmacies that provide naloxone, check stoptheclockcolorado.org. Drug dealers and the drug cartels are lacing these other drugs with fentanyl because its cheaper for them to do that and then it gets more people addicted. Nichols said the adult female who made it out alive is 'lucid' and 'talking with police. Fentanyl is ravaging our community right now, Mason said. In limited cases, were even seeing it with marijuana.. It's a terrible situation. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Its rare but not unheard of for drug dealers in Colorado to be charged with murder in connection to overdose deaths. He and Mason in December called for harsher penalties for people who sell fentanyl, and Weiser reiterated that stance, calling on lawmakers to create either a new charge or a sentence enhancer for people who sell drugs that result in the customers death. 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The infant appears to be OK, Nichols said. On Monday, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason said the five adults likely died as a result of an unintentional fentanyl overdose. He declined to say whether the survivor also ingested the tainted drugs, but said the person was rushed to a hospital for treatment. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. No drug is safe right now, Adams County District Attorney Brian Mason said. Opinion: Colorado farms going fallow? They didnt have the ability to help each other. In Pittsburgh, she helped the newspaper earn the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news after a mass shooting at a local synagogue, and in 2020 she was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for an investigation into child sexual abuse among Amish and Mennonite communities. They said it. If our theory is correct, they didnt realize that they were ingesting fentanyl. Olivia Prentzel is a general assignment writer for The Colorado Sun. It is the nightmare scenario of the dangers of fentanyl, he said. This is five people dying without realizing the drug theyre putting into their bodies, Mason said. Colorado nonprofits like Access Point Colorado (303-837-1501) and the Harm Reduction Action Center (303-572-7800) offer supplies like naloxone and fentanyl test strips. And quite honestly, the drug cartels know that when they are distributing these drugs.. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. The department said more information will be released as details become available. The victims have not been publicly identified, but the women who died were ages 28, 29 and 32, police said, and the men were ages 32 and 24. Shelly Bradbury is the courts reporter at the Denver Post. Loss of consciousness COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The five people found dead in an apartment Sunday afternoon from suspected fentanyl overdoses have been identified. Denver residents can request fentanyl testing strips and naloxone from the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment via an online form. A sixth person was alive and was taken to the hospital. Gazette reporters Erin Prater and Chhun Sun and The Associated Press contributed to this report. He said it was unclear if the babys parents were among the deceased adults found in the apartment. In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Is comparing Colorado Springs' and Denver's homeless populations fair or unfair? A sixth adult and a 4-month-old child survived. An average of two Coloradans died of fentanyl overdoses every day in the first nine months of 2021, state data shows. Their bodies were on the floor near a mirror with lines of drugs arranged on it, he said. 5 found dead in Commerce City apartment 7,380 views Feb 20, 2022 179 Dislike Share Save 9NEWS 219K subscribers Investigators are working to determine how the people died. One of the adults survived, but five died from what investigators believe was cocaine laced with fentanyl. Mason said it was miraculous that one person survived the incident. The investigation is ongoing. You have permission to edit this article. A substance, possibly illicit narcotics, was found inside the apartment, Nichols said. All of the victims are adults, police say. The friend did talk on the condition of anonymity. Both the adult and the baby are expected to survive; its unclear if the babys parents were among the dead. Signs of an overdose include: Posted: Feb 21, 2022 / 11:30 AM MST. He declined to say whether the survivor also ingested the tainted drugs, but said the person was rushed to a hospital for treatment. Valiera Brooks Davis (left) and Gabriel Clark (right) are pictured in front of a building at the Waldo Heights Apartment complex on March 1, 2023. And in 2014, a Centennial woman linked to four fatal overdoses was charged with first-degree murder in the 2011overdose death of 21-year-old Carter Higdon. It is rare for the DEA to be involved at this stage in an investigation, but given the number of deaths and the huge crisis that fentanyl is posing to Colorado, we want them to be involved and they want to be involved, Mason said. District Attorney: 5 Deaths At Commerce City Apartment Were Fentanyl Related. Eleven people were hospitalized, and 20 evacuated from the heavily damaged building. (GoFundMe) DETROIT (Gray News) - A family in Michigan says they have lost everything in a fire but, with the help of their dog . Choking or gurgling sounds And in 2014, a Centennial woman linked to four fatal overdoses was charged with first-degree murder in the 2011overdose death of 21-year-old Carter Higdon. Commerce City police found the bodies of three women and two men around 3:45 p.m. Sunday inside a home at the North Range Crossings Apartments at 14480 E. 104th Ave. A 29-year-old woman and a. She joined the paper in 2019 and previously worked as a crime reporter at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in Pennsylvania and the Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee. Mason, who was at the scene Sunday, is working alongside Commerce City police and North Metro Drug Task Force. Officers and medical personnel from the South Adams County Fire Department responded to the apartment complex in the 14400 block of East 104th Avenue around 3:45 p.m. on a report of several unconscious people, according to a news release from the Commerce City Police Department. Its lethal and fast, Mason said. Some who knew the victims tell CBS4 the victims died of fentanyl, and a child was inside the home at the time. 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