11 months ago
21
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — The Fresno County’s District Attorney’s Office announced the county's first-ever assemblage condemnation successful a fentanyl execution trial.
24-year-old Cassidy Gonzalez was convicted of second-degree execution for the overdose decease of 41-year-old Jade Dreith backmost successful 2022.
“We are the 3rd region successful the State of California to unafraid a condemnation for 2nd grade execution of a fentanyl dealer,” Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said. “Our juries are becoming alert of the information that this cause has puts connected people. And erstwhile it's sold successful its counterfeit form, it truly isn't adjacent a drug. It's poison.”
Second-degree execution carries a imaginable sentencing of 15 years to life.
“It's sending a large connection to radical who take to transport, merchantability and usage this cause that it's superior and determination volition beryllium consequences successful the instrumentality for you if you bash it,” Smittcamp said.
District Attorney Smittcamp says this condemnation was a agelong clip coming. Although Jade's household has justice, she admits determination are nary victors.
“Both families connected some sides are suffering that some families, the household of the defendant, the household of the victim, you know, they're everlastingly changed by this,” Smittcamp said.
Flindt Andersen, the laminitis of Parents and Addicts successful Need, besides reacted to the milestone conviction. He says this condemnation is bully news, due to the fact that the fentanyl situation is growing.
“As agelong arsenic we person a request for the drug, the proviso is going to beryllium there. And truthful we person to enactment connected the different extremity of this of getting radical the assistance that they need.” Andersen said.
Now, Andersen says enactment needs to beryllium done to assistance addicts.
“Until we code the addiction itself and get assistance for those radical that request it, I deliberation we're inactive going to beryllium successful conscionable benignant of successful the aforesaid mess,” Andersen said.
Gonzales is booked successful the Fresno County Jail and is scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected Thursday, April 24.
