Two teenagers are alive today, thanks to Deputy Sheriffs assigned to Temple Station and Narcan.

On the evening of November 3, 2022, Deputies Duran, Cuevas, and Lopez responded to the 700 block of Betty Hill Drive, in the city of Duarte regarding a medical distress call. The call stated two 17-year-old teenagers were not breathing, and the family screaming for help could be heard in the background.

Deputies Duran, Cuevas, and Lopez were the first units to arrive at the residence. They found two teenage boys lying on a bedroom floor, unresponsive, with family members performing CPR. The Deputies immediately assessed both teenagers and saw they were not breathing. Believing the teenagers ingested Fentanyl or another type of opioid drug, the deputies administered three doses of Naloxone, also known as Narcan, to each teenager while simultaneously administering live-saving first aid/CPR. 

Within minutes, both teenagers began breathing, and Deputies were able to locate a pulse. Upon the arrival of the LA County Fire Department, both teenagers were transported to a hospital, where they were treated and subsequently released to their parents. Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, “If not for the swift, decisive action of these deputies, both young men would have become lives claimed by the opioid pandemic.”  

In the body-worn camera footage, depicted below, you can see the deputies arrive and effect the rescue.

Fentanyl is a pharmaceutical drug created to help patients with pain management. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin. 

Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous and deadly substances ever produced. Illicit drug manufacturers and distributors discovered Fentanyl offers a very effective replacement filler or supplement to street-level drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

The best way to help combat the Fentanyl drug problem is through awareness and education. #LASD asks that you please take the time to educate your children and loved ones on the dangers of not just Fentanyl but all drugs! Remember, one wrong choice can cost you your life.  For more information on research, training, and topics about drug abuse, visit https://www.drugabuse.gov/.