The other adult who was transported "appears to be lucid. Elise Schmelzer is the public safety reporter at The Denver Post and covers policing, crime and criminal justice. Police said Sunday substances that can "be described as illicit narcotics" were located in the apartment. On Monday, 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason said the five adults likely died as a result of an unintentional fentanyl overdose. 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. Nichols said the likelihood of drug use was high. 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. Typically, the charge of distributing drugs resulting in death is easier to prove in court than a murder count, he said, though the specific elements and penalties would depend on how changes to the law are written. While fatal fentanyl overdoses are skyrocketing across Colorado, there have only been a few death charges. Further details about the deaths and other circumstances were not released. Its rare but not unheard of for drug dealers in Colorado to be charged with murder in connection to overdose deaths. An overnight Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhya early on March 2 left three dead, the State Emergency Service says. Some who knew the victims tell CBS4 the victims died of fentanyl, and a child was inside the home at the time. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid considered 10 times more deadly than heroin, has resulted in a surge of deaths in Colorado and is now the leading cause of fatal overdoses in the state. "If it was drugs, no one was able to get to a phone to call 911 for a medical emergency," said Clint Nichols, Commerce City chief of police. + Union Station Changes + No Trash, Larimer Square's Crumbling + 13 City Council Seats, 41+ Candidates, National Guard For Space + Gas Prices Down + Englewood Affordability, Live Music & Great Food at SUPERMARKET NIGHTS VOL2 - Promo Code CHOICE20. A sixth adult and a 4-month-old child survived. Five people were found dead in an apartment in Commerce City Sunday afternoon, according to the Commerce City Police Department.More local videos here: https. All of the victims are adults, police say. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters. We want to get to the bottom of what happened, but it is very challenging to build a criminal case with these types of cases, Mason said. Fentanyl played a role in 643 of 2021s known fatal overdoses, accounting for about half of the states overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation alongside Commerce City police and the 17th Judicial District Attorneys Office. The 1,329 sq. Another pending case is that of a 21-year-old Boulder County man who was charged with manslaughter in December after authorities there said he sold pills laced with fentanyl that resulted in a womans fatal overdose, Boulders Daily Camera newspaper reported. "If it is going to be illicit drugs, they were very, very bad," he said. 9758 Laredo St , Commerce City, CO 80022-9803 is an apartment unit listed for rent at /mo. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. Police in Commerce City are investigating after five adults were found dead inside an apartment unit Sunday afternoon. Denver7 reporter Russell Haythorn contributed to this report. We cant interview them, ask them where the drugs came from, and that makes these cases very challenging. If our theory is correct, they didnt realize that they were ingesting fentanyl. "I hope the parents were not in there, but Ive been doing this long enough I would probably be safe to suggest the parents probably were inside, and so for the infant, thats going to be a long time without parents.". And we have more deaths. Their bodies were on the floor near a mirror with lines of drugs arranged on it, he said. A Detroit family says their dog helped save their baby in a fire. He declined to say whether the survivor also ingested the tainted drugs, but said the person was rushed to a hospital for treatment. 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. There are other people out there who might have drugs from that same batch or have drugs from the same dealer who could take those drugs tonight. She was brain-dead at North Suburban and her family decided to. An average of two Coloradans died of fentanyl overdoses every day in the first nine months of 2021, state data shows. Officers and first responders reported just before 4 p.m. Sunday to North Range Crossings Apartments at 14480 East 104th Ave in Commerce City in response to a call about several unconscious adults. Choking or gurgling sounds Opioid overdoses, including fentanyl overdoses, can be reversed with naloxone, an over-the-counter nasal spray available at most pharmacies. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The five people found dead in an apartment Sunday afternoon from suspected fentanyl overdoses have been identified. 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. 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Karina Joy Rodriguez was one of five people found dead in a Commerce City apartment on Feb. 20, 2022, after they took cocaine laced with fentanyl. Eleven people were hospitalized, and 20 evacuated from the heavily damaged building. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. The five people found dead in an apartment Sunday afternoon from suspected fentanyl overdoses have been identified. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - Commerce City police officials say five people were found dead on 104th Avenue Sunday afternoon. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. Even with the limited data thats available, fentanyls lethal role is already more prominent than in the entirety of 2020, when the synthetic opioid contributed to 534 deaths. He declined to speculate on whether charges would be filed against the person who provided the drugs to the five victims. The department said more information will be released as details become available. February 20, 2022 / 6:26 PM This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. The names of the five people found dead in a Commerce City, Colorado apartment from an apparent drug overdose have been released, CBS4 reports. Final 2021 mortality data will be available in May, Kirk Bol, manager of CDPHEs Vital Statistics Program, said in an email. More by Olivia Prentzel, Got a story tip? You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. They found five dead adults inside a home, police said. Access all of our premium content, get unlimited digital access and more! Criminal activity and violence have been ruled out, and a test for hazardous gas, performed by firefighters, came back negative. 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. This is the nightmare scenario. 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Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. The DAs office is continuing to work with the Commerce City Police Department and the North Metro Drug Task Force on early investigations. 5 things we know about 5 people found dead in Commerce City apartment by: Dara Bitler. Gazette reporters Erin Prater and Chhun Sun and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Some of the victims lived inside the apartment, police say, but it's not clear the relation, if any, among the victims. That case is pending trial. A 29-year-old Hispanic woman and an infant, believed to be about 4 months old, were also found and were in good condition. When you distribute drugs and it results in someones death and you are, essentially, on notice that you could be doing this, its not the same as when you distribute drugs and someone is feeding their addiction, he said, adding that he does not want to see increased criminal penalties for people suffering from addiction. For a map of pharmacies that provide naloxone, check stoptheclockcolorado.org. Fentanyl is dangerous. All five likely died almost instantly, he said. Commerce City Police Chief Clint Nichols said officers responded to a call of an unconscious party at the North Range Crossings Apartments at 3:45 p.m. Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! "The infant is doing fine," Chief said, adding the baby is about 4months old. They first received a report about five unconscious adults inside a home in the 14400 block of 104th Avenue. Signs of an overdose include: Small pupils that look like a pinpoint Loss of consciousness Slow and shallow breathing Choking or gurgling sounds A limp body Pale, blue or cold skin. 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The Commerce City Police Department was investigating. The Moving can be an exciting experience. People with substance use or mental health disorders can also contact Colorado Crisis Services at 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. Denver residents can request fentanyl testing strips and naloxone from the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment via an online form. Mason said it was miraculous that one person survived the incident. In. Its lethal and fast, Mason said. Police said the victims were found inside the apartment around 3:45 p.m. in the 14400 block of East 104th Avenue. 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. 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 4-month-old infant were in the apartment but survived, Commerce City police Chief Clint Nichols said Sunday night. Investigators have not yet determined a cause. Weiser said he expects to see such a bill introduced this year. Here are five things we know about the investigation so far: Chief Clint Nichols with the Commerce City Police Department said that if drugs were the cause of death, they were really bad no one was able to get to a phone and call 911 it happened quickly.. When you distribute drugs and it results in someones death and you are, essentially, on notice that you could be doing this, its not the same as when you distribute drugs and someone is feeding their addiction, he said, adding that he does not want to see increased criminal penalties for people suffering from addiction. Police said in a news release Monday that they were aggressively pursuing leads with plans to vigorously pursue charges., Obviously an investigation of this nature is very complicated, Mason said. "If it was drugs, no one was able to get to a phone and call 911 for a medical emergency, so it happened pretty quickly," Nichols said. The scene was like a mass homicide scene. FOX31 and Channel 2 are still working to confirm the last two victims identities. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Preliminary figures from the state Department of Public Health and Environment showed fentanyl was involved in more overdose deaths in 2021 than in any previous year, outpacing the combined totals from 2015 to 2019. COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) The Commerce City Police Department is issuing a stern warning after five people were found dead inside an apartment on Sunday afternoon. No drug is safe, Mason said. Rest in peace.". 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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Mason warned that the tainted batch of drugs could still be circulating in the community. Approximately half of the 1,581 Colorado drug overdose deaths last year that have been recorded thus far involved fentanyl, the provisional data shows. "No drug is safe. Here's why. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. "They were awesome people," the man said. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. The bodies of three women and two men were discovered around 3:45 p.m. inside a home at The North Range Crossings Apartments at 14480 E. 104th Avenue, Commerce City police Chief Clint Nichols said. "My understanding is the infant is doing fine, just the routine medical check-up.". Its part of their business model., A release from the Commerce City Police Department says narcotics that detectives recovered in the apartment had a presumptive positive test result for the presence of fentanyl.. Commerce City police are heading up the investigation into the deaths, along with the North Metro Drug Task Force and the district attorneys office, Mason said. February 21, 2022, 8:35 AM. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. 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. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. One adult and an infant survived, according to authorities. 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. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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