This browser does not support the Video element.
Police want to connect suspected dealer to more cases
The three girls who overdosed and survived met Santos at Firewheel Mall, according to an arrest affidavit. Santos allegedly gave them pills and "did not take anything in return." Two of the girls went inside T.G.I. Fridays, took the drugs and overdosed.
GARLAND, Texas - Garland police say they're looking to connect a suspected drug dealer with more fentanyl overdoses in the city.
The 19-year-old was arrested last week after three teens were found unresponsive at Firewheel Town Center.
Erik Santos is allegedly responsible for three teenage girls overdosing on fentanyl. They all survived, but investigators now believe he might be responsible for an additional overdose death.
Santos is in the Dallas County jail for allegedly supplying fentanyl pills, which led to three teenage girls overdosing in Garland on Aug. 1.
"We’re not thinking this is the first time that Erik’s been involved in something like this," said Garland Police Lt. Richard Maldonado. "So we’re trying to connect all these dots."
The Garland Police Department now believes Santos might be responsible for the overdose death of a teen girl back in July.
"If that is the case, then we will be filing an additional charge," Maldonado said.
The three girls who overdosed and survived met Santos at Firewheel Mall that Tuesday afternoon, according to an arrest affidavit. Santos allegedly gave them pills and "did not take anything in return."
Two of the girls went inside T.G.I. Fridays, took the drugs and overdosed.
"Two young females in a bathroom stall are completely unresponsive. One was 16. One was 17," Maldonado said.
Beforehand, the third girl went to a movie next door at AMC with Santos, according to the affidavit. She overdosed in a theater and Santos carried her out but left before investigators arrived.
"The young man that she was with says, ‘I gotta go. I just met her a couple months ago. I’m on probation' or something to the effect, and he took off," Maldonado said.
2 more arrests made in fentanyl ring that killed Carrollton teens, feds say
Two more arrests have been made in connection to a drug ring that caused several student overdose deaths in Carrollton.
Investigators tracked Santos down after interviewing the overdose victims.
Santos was using an Instagram account to sell blue M-30 fentanyl pills, according to the affidavit. A circular blue emoji with an M in the middle is posted on the Instagram bio.
"Stay away from taking anything that’s an M-30 or a perc or anything that you’re buying out on the streets," Maldonado said. "This is not safe.
For now, investigators will work to confirm if additional overdoses are connected to Santos and who’s been supplying him.
"There’s always somebody over you. There’s somebody else that’s bigger," Maldonado said.
At least two of the three girls who overdosed and survived were administered Narcan.
Santos’ bond is set at $450,000. That’s $150,000 for each charge related to an overdose.