Carrollton suspect accused of leading fentanyl ring that led to deaths of students appears in court
CARROLLTON, Texas - One of the two people arrested for reportedly dealing deadly drugs to middle and high school students faced a judge in federal court Friday.
The drugs were tied to ten overdoses in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD.
Magaly Mejia Cano waived her right to a probable cause hearing.
Cameras were not allowed in the federal courtroom, but the judge ordered Cano to remain in custody.
Wearing a striped orange jumpsuit and two French braids, 29-year-old Cano waived her right to a trial where prosecutors would have to lay out their evidence that she was dealing drugs to middle and high school students.
Federal prosecutors have tied Cano and 21-year-old Luis Navarrete to dealing drugs that killed three students and led to seven hospitalizations.
RELATED: 2 Carrollton adults led fentanyl ring that led to deaths, hospitalizations of students, feds say
RL Turner school resource officer Nik Stefanovic was one of the officers who pieced the puzzle together.
"A lot of people are hesitant to call us, they think they are wasting our time, but that is how we figure this stuff out," Stefanovic said.
The most recent death was on February 1.
"It was tough. Urgency is important and being thorough," he added. "The last thing we want is to arrest someone then not have enough evidence when it comes down to judge and jury."
Stefanovic said many kids think they are taking a prescription pill that wouldn't kill them, not knowing fentanyl is mixed in.
"If someone says they have a prescription pill, Percocet or Xanax or Oxycodone, if it sounds weird, just say no," Stefanovic said. "The smallest amount, a grain of salt worth [of fentanyl] can be an overdose."
Thursday night, many parents who have lost children who unknowingly took fentanyl worked to educate parents.
"My son was an honor student, brilliant, got masters at UNT," Debbie Petersen said.
Petersen said after her son's death, she learned he first received an opioid from a cousin after his high school graduation.
"January 2022, he bought what he thought was Oxy pill. He took half and passed after one minute," she recalled.
Christina Pena said her daughter, Angelina Rogers, had just become a manager at her job.
She had started taking prescription pain medicine after a surgery.
"They gave her a 30-day supply of oxy," Pena recalled.
Then she ran out.
"An ex-friend of the family told her she had oxy. My daughter took half and never woke up," she said.
Some parents said they wished the district was doing more.
"I feel there has been a lack of communication from the district," one parent said.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD said in a statement this week that it sent out an email to all parents October 31 and held two parent meetings in November.
"When we first got information we had a death, within weeks, we had Narcan at every school," Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lance Hamlin said.
While the two accused Carrollton drug ring leaders are still locked up, authorities have not announced any charges against the eight high school students who were helping to sell the drugs in three Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD schools.
This is a reminder that it is up to parents to talk to their kids and monitor what they are doing.