Suspected narcotics dealer in custody after two high school students die from possible fentanyl overdose

On Saturday, February 22, 2025, at approximately 8:15 pm, the Santa Rosa Police Department (SRPD) Communications Center received a 911 call from inside a home in the 2100 block of Brookwood Drive regarding a possible narcotics overdose. A guest arrived at the residence and let herself into the home when there was no answer at the door. She went to her friend’s bedroom and saw her friend, a 16-year-old female, and an 18-year-old-male unresponsive on a bed. SRPD officers and medical personnel rushed to the scene, however, both victims were pronounced deceased by medical personnel shortly after arrival.

Detectives with the SRPD Violent Crimes Investigations Team (VCI) responded to the scene to take over the investigation in collaboration with the SRPD Narcotics Investigations Team. VCI detectives located evidence of narcotics use at the scene and information about the identity of a suspected narcotics dealer. Narcotics detectives had investigated a similar significant overdose at approximately 5:15 am the same day in which a 14-year-old female and a 16-year-old female were hospitalized following a suspected fentanyl overdose in Santa Rosa. SRPD detectives are currently investigating this incident to determine if it is related to the overdose deaths on Brookwood Drive.

It is believed the teenage victims in both overdose incidents had purchased what was thought to be cocaine, but was most likely fentanyl. It is still being investigated if the narcotic used by the victims was fentanyl or cocaine laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat chronic pain and is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine. An amount as small as 2 mg of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose. Numerous illegal narcotics are currently being mixed with fentanyl to increase potency, and often the narcotics user is unaware of the potentially deadly fentanyl contamination. 

As the investigation progressed, detectives located the suspect in his vehicle parked in the parking lot of a retail business in the 1900 block of Santa Rosa Avenue at approximately 12:45 pm on February 23, 2025. A uniformed SRPD officer contacted the driver of the vehicle and detained Ramon Nunez, a 21-year-old Santa Rosa resident and his adult male passenger pursuant to this investigation. It was later determined the adult male passenger is unrelated to this investigation and was released from police custody.

A search warrant for Nunez and his vehicle was authored by a VCI detective. In the afternoon on February 23, 2025, the search warrant was approved by a Sonoma County Superior Court judge. During the service of the search warrant, detectives located narcotics and other items indicative of narcotic sales such as packaging materials, specifically small plastic baggies containing a distinctive black peace sign logo believed to be linked to the overdose deaths of the two teenagers.

Based on the investigation, detectives believe Nunez sold the narcotics that caused the death of the teenagers in this incident and are investigating Nunez’s possible connection to other overdose incidents in Santa Rosa.  

Nunez was arrested and booked into Sonoma County Jail for the following charges:

187(a) PC - Second degree homicide

11353(c) HS - Furnish narcotics to a minor

11353.1(a)(3) HS - Furnish narcotics to a minor four or more years younger

The names of the deceased victims will not be released at this time due to the age of the female victim and pending identification of both victims by the Sonoma County Coroner. The 16-year-old female was a student at Santa Rosa High School, and the 18-year-old male victim was at Montgomery High School. 

The 14-year-old and 16-year-old female overdose victims from the earlier overdose incident remain hospitalized. Their names or schools of attendance will not be released at this time due to the ongoing investigation and to protect their privacy. 

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to call the SRPD VCI Tipline at 707-543-3590 or online at www.srcity.org/CrimeTips. We urge parents to have open conversations with their children about illegal drug use. The rise in fentanyl-contaminated drugs poses a severe risk, and even a small amount can lead to a fatal overdose. For more information about fentanyl, please visit the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.

Santa Rosa Police Department case numbers 25-2230 and 25-2253.

On February 23, 2025, at approximately 6:25 pm, Santa Rosa City Schools (SRCS) released a message to their SRCS community in which the deaths of four students was referenced. Two of the students are the 16 and 18-year-old victims referenced in this release. The third is a 19-year-old male and former SRCS student, and though drugs are suspected in his death, it is unlikely to be related to this overdose death. The fourth student is a 21-year-old male, who is believed to have passed away from natural causes. All four deaths are currently being investigated. 

Media inquiries can be made to Sgt. Patricia Seffens, Public Information Officer, at 707-543-3634 or pseffens@srcity.org.