A jury found a Temecula man guilty of murder in the 2020 fentanyl-related death of a 26-year-old woman - a first-of-its-kind verdict in the state of California.
Vicente David Romero, 34, was found guilty of second-degree murder Thursday in the death of Kelsey King. Prosecutors said Romero knowingly supplied King with fentanyl in June 2020."Today, our office has successfully provided justice to a victim's family by securing the first-ever guilty verdict by a jury in a fentanyl-related homicide trial in the state of California," said Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.
This is the first of 23 active homicide cases in Riverside County related to fentanyl poisonings to go to trial. It's considered a landmark case in the state in which a person who knowingly supplied fentanyl was convicted of murder. Authorities said during the five-day trial, the prosecution called 10 witnesses to testify and showed body camera footage in which Romero said he gave and split a pill known as a "blue" with King, which he knew to contain fentanyl.
In an open plea to the court prior to the trial, Romero admitted to five additional charges, including possession of drugs while armed, being a convicted felon and drug addict in possession of a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Romero is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces up to 15 years to life in prison. The additional charges carry of sentence of up to six years and eight months in prison.
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