The mother of a man who overdosed on a fake Norco pill laced with Fentanyl, is pleading for help.
Natasha Butler says her son, Jerome Butler, took the pill on March 25, thinking it was a painkiller. It turned out to be a fake.
"Whoever was at that house, I'm asking you, I'm begging you. Whoever was at that house with him, whoever has info where he got these pills..." she said.The numbers of deaths and overdoses in Sacramento County related to Fentanyl and fake Norco continue to rise.
On Monday, the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services announced there have been 42 reported cases of opioid-related overdoses. Of those cases, nine people have died, with possibly a tenth victim, in less than two weeks.Natasha wants to know who could have given her son the counterfeit drug that claimed his life last month. Her 28-year-old son overdosed after taking the pill at a relative's house. Natasha said two other people took pills after Jerome did, at the same South Sacramento home on 47th street..
After Jerome was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead, Jerome's friend also got sick. But, he survived after he was treated for a drug overdose. Another young woman also got sick the day after Jerome did."She said she started feeling nauseous. She felt bad. Her heart," explained Natasha.
That drug overdose victim survived and is now texting Natasha."(She's saying) that she's sorry for our loss and that she also got a pill from the lady at the house," she said.
The Drug Enforcement Agency served a search warrant at the South Sacramento several days ago, but did not find anything.Neighbors say two people were taken into custody for questioning, but the DEA says no one has been arrested.
Law enforcement is looking into the source of the deadly street drugs, including the DEA, is investigating. A situation so serious, Sacramento County issued a public safety alert.Natasha still has lots of questions like where the drugs originally came from. She is afraid there may be a lot more overdoses and deaths before the mystery is solved.
"I lost my son. He's gone," she said.Meanwhile, Natasha is struggling to raise money to bury her son.
Natasha started a GoFundMe page that has already raised several hundred dollars, but she said she has a ways to go. She's hoping to raise enough money to buy her son a casket. She also hopes someone can help donate a tuxedo for her son to be buried in.Through it all, she said she's fighting for her son and for every other family that has lost someone from a drug overdose since March 23. She's even taking her fight to the state capitol.
"Whatever needs to be done, we need to do it," said Natasha.Two state senators are pushing a bill targeting dealers. Senate Bill 1323 will call for tougher penalties for traffickers of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and Fentanyl. It will be heard at the Capitol later this week.