Man Sentenced To More Than 15 Years In Escondido Fentanyl Death

SAN DIEGO, CA — A man who sold a dose of fentanyl that killed a woman in Escondido was sentenced Monday to 15 years and eight months in prison.

Danny Nunez, 25, pleaded guilty to federal charges earlier this year for his role in the 25-year-old victim's fatal overdose.

The victim, referred to as "L.P." in court records, died on Sept. 11, 2024, and her parents found her body in her bedroom the following day, according to prosecutors.

Cell phone evidence and witness statements helped investigators identify Nunez as the person who sold the victim drugs, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, detectives with the Escondido Police Department later posed as L.P. in messages with Nunez and asked to buy more fentanyl. Nunez was arrested as he was leaving his home to meet with the buyer and had two baggies containing fentanyl on him, according to the complaint.

In a sentencing memorandum authored by his defense attorney, Holly Sullivan, she described L.P.'s death as "truly tragic" and wrote, "Both Mr. Nunez and his family have expressed their condolences to L.P.'s family. Mr. Nunez never intended any of this to happen and deeply regrets his involvement."

— City News Service