A 32-year-old man suspected of providing drugs that led to the overdoses of five people in Long Beach was arrested on suspicion of possessing narcotics for sale, police said Friday.
Daniel Giannattasio, of Long Beach, was arrested Oct. 6 when officers served a search warrant at a residence in the 400 block of Walnut Avenue, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
During the search, detectives recovered narcotics presumed to be for sale, an AR-15 lower receiver, a pistol and several firearm magazines, police said. Giannattasio was booked on suspicion of possession for sale of psilocybin mushrooms, but subsequently released under the county’s zero-bail system.
The search warrant was the culmination of a police investigation into the overdoses of five people that occurred around 2:50 a.m. Sept. 24 in the 800 block of Grand Avenue, police said. Paramedics discovered five people — three males and two females — who had overdosed. All but one of the female victims were taken to hospitals in stable condition, police said.
“Detectives believe (Giannattasio) to be responsible for the five overdoses on Sept. 24,” police said.
Anyone with information regarding the overdoses was asked to contact the LBPD Drug Investigation Section at 562-570-7125. Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.