Sacramento County sheriff makes first fentanyl-related homicide arrest after overdose
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man Tuesday on suspicion of homicide for allegedly providing fentanyl to a victim who died from an overdose, the first such arrest the agency says it has made.
A victim died Aug. 17 from fentanyl poisoning, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He had ingested what he believed to be “recreational drugs” furnished by an alleged drug dealer, deputies said.
The suspect, Luke Eckes, had multiple M30 Percocet pills at his home, which are commonly laced with fentanyl, deputies said. He admitted to knowing the victim, selling him fentanyl and possibly overdosing on the same drugs he sold to him, the news release said.
Eckes was booked into the downtown jail and faces charges of homicide and having controlled substances. He is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear for his arraignment Dec. 19, according to online jail records.
Sacramento County Coroner’s Office records show 21-year-old Joel Loya died Aug. 17 of fentanyl toxicity. Coroner’s records as of Tuesday did not list Loya’s death as a homicide, but a separate data dashboard maintained by the coroner of fentanyl-related deaths shows Loya as the only such death that day.
“I am proud our Detectives have reached this major milestone in its fight against the devastating impact of fentanyl poisoning in our community, marking a significant step in holding those who distribute this deadly drug accountable,” Sheriff Jim Cooper said in the news release. “This case reflects the Sheriff’s Office’s unwavering commitment to combating the fentanyl epidemic, which has claimed too many lives and shattered countless families.”
The case marked the first time the Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect on suspicion of homicide in connection to an overdose death by a victim who consumed fentanyl. Sacramento region law enforcement agencies embarked on a novel approach over the past few years of arresting alleged drug dealers furnishing fentanyl on homicide charges.
The Sacramento Police Department announced last month its first arrest of an accused drug dealer who provided fentanyl to an overdose victim.
Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho filed last year the county’s first homicide charges connected to a fentanyl overdose in a case stemming from Folsom. The Citrus Heights Police Department and the Elk Grove Police Department have also announced similar arrests after fatal drug overdoses.
Placer County notched the second conviction in California for a fentanyl-murder case after a jury found Carson Schewe, 23, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Kade Webb, 20.
This story was originally published November 26, 2024 at 4:57 PM.