UPDATE: South Lake Tahoe police identify four who died in suspected drug overdose, fentanyl found on scene
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 02/13/2024 - 1:02pm
The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has identified the four victims who died in a suspected drug overdose on Monday. Three of the victims are South Lake Tahoe residents and one man is from Douglas County.
They are South Lake Tahoe residents Abraham Lemus, age 32, Adam Joy, age 35, Keely Pereira, age 33, and Douglas County, Nev., resident Clifford Joy, 37, according to South Lake Tahoe Police Department. The agency earlier corrected the age of one person.
The South Lake Tahoe Police Department is continuing the investigation of the four deaths, according to a South Lake Tahoe Police news release.
Examination of the substance located on scene tested presumptively as fentanyl, however autopsies and toxicology reports are still pending, according to the release. Investigative and technical assistance continues to be provided by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office.
If you have any information about this incident, please email cybertips@cityofslt.us.
As the national conversation about fentanyl risks continues, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department strongly discourages the use of illegally obtained controlled substances due to the potential for deadly consequences. If you choose to use controlled substances, please be aware of local medical resources.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a life-saving medication that can rapidly and temporarily reverse an overdose from opioids—including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications. Counterfeit pills or other street drugs (i.e. MDMA, cocaine, and others) may include lethal doses of fentanyl.
Naloxone is easy to use and small to carry. Naloxone can be used without medical training or authorization and can be used on anyone at risk, as there are no effects to someone without opioids in their system.
Narcan is available to pick up for free, and no questions asked, at the following locations in the South Lake Tahoe area:
Barton Emergency Department-2170 South Ave. South Lake Tahoe, CA (entrance located in the back of Barton Memorial Hospital)
Barton Community Health Center-2201 South Ave. South Lake Tahoe, CA
Barton Urgent Care + Barton Primary Care at Stateline-155 Hwy 50 #100, Stateline, NV
Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless-Red Lodge, 1137 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
El Dorado County Behavioral Health Services, 1900 Lake Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Recognizing Opioid Overdose
An opioid overdose is life-threatening and requires immediate emergency attention. Recognizing the signs of opioid overdose is essential to saving lives.
Call 911 immediately if a person exhibits ANY of the following symptoms:
— Unresponsive to sound or touch
— Their face is extremely pale and/or feels clammy to the touch
— Their body goes limp - slow or irregular breathing
— Their fingernails or lips have a purple or blue color
— They start vomiting or making gurgling noises
— Their breathing or heartbeat slows or stops
— Pinpoint pupils
If you witness an overdose, it’s important to take action right away including administering Narcan and calling 911. While Narcan can reverse the effects of an overdose, it is temporary, lasting between 30-90 minutes, and a longer lasting opioid may outlive it, causing a person to go back into overdose. South Lake Tahoe Police notes that California’s 911 Good Samaritan law provides limited protection from arrest, charge and prosecution for people who seek emergency medical assistance at the scene of a suspected drug overdose.
