A probationer and her cohort accused of supplying a deadly dose of fentanyl to a 35-year-old Riverside man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder and other charges.
Jaclyn Christine Sherman and Miguel Garcia, both 30 and of Riverside, allegedly caused the death last year of Christopher Nicholas Lucia.
Along with murder, Sherman and Garcia were also charged with possession of controlled substances for sale.
They were jointly arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for March 7 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Each is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
Their co-defendant, 46-year-old David Ray Mullins of Jurupa Valley, is in state prison, serving time for unspecified offenses. No date has been set yet for his arraignment. Mullins was charged identically to Sherman and Garcia.
They allegedly provided the fentanyl consumed by Lucia on Nov. 8, precipitating his death a few days later, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Riverside police Chief Larry Gonzalez said last month that fentanyl suppliers “put all our community members at risk.”
“We won’t stop fighting to rid this deadly poison from our neighborhoods,” the chief said.
More than two dozen people countywide have been charged with murder in fentanyl-related cases.
District Attorney Mike Hestrin said last month anyone who sells fentanyl that causes “the death of another in the county should expect to be prosecuted for homicide and be held fully accountable for the life they took.”
According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, Lucia was hospitalized after consuming an unknown quantity of fentanyl-laced drugs. Detectives were alerted to his condition after tests showed the synthetic opioid in the comatose man’s system. He died Nov. 13, Railsback said.
The ensuing investigation led to the three defendants, culminating in search warrants being served in the 5500 block of Inner Circle Drive and 4900 block of Gardena Drive in Riverside, as well as the 7200 block of Font Avenue in Jurupa Valley.
“Detectives located and seized more than three-quarter pounds of powdered fentanyl, as well as evidence these suspects continued selling fentanyl after Christopher’s death,” Railsback said. “Additionally, 11 firearms were seized during this investigation.”
How the victim came into contact with the defendants was not disclosed.
Court records show Sherman has prior convictions for petty theft and driving on a suspended license. Mullins has a prior for possession of controlled substances. Background information on Garcia wasn’t available.
In November, prosecutors closed the books on the county’s first fentanyl murder case to go before a jury, culminating in the conviction of 34-year-old Vicente David Romero, who was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the 2020 death of a Temecula woman.
Preliminary data released by the county Department of Public Health showed there were 388 confirmed fentanyl-related fatalities countywide in 2023, a 23% decline from 2022, when there were 503.
Fentanyl is manufactured in overseas labs and smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border by cartels, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Fentanyl is 80-100 times more potent than morphine and can be mixed into any number of street narcotics and prescription drugs, without a user knowing what he or she is consuming. Ingestion of only two milligrams can be fatal.