Michael had a good heart and was well-liked by everyone.  His smile lit up a room.  He had gravitating energy and loved his guitar.  Michael played sports, loved music, enjoyed history and social justice issues, had an exceptional work ethic, and loved engaging conversations.

Michael grew up in Napa County and was living in San Diego attending college.  He was in a good place in his life, living by the beach with his house mates and his sister close by.   We tragically lost Michael on February 24, 2020 from fentanyl poisoning at the age of 20 years old.  Michael ingested what he thought was a Percocet prescription pill.  It was actually a lethal dose of fentanyl, that was purchased on the social media platform Snapchat from what we later learned was a drug dealer.

We found out six weeks after Michael passed from the toxicology report that fentanyl is what took Michael’s life, it was not oxycodone.  His death is listed as fentanyl intoxication.

We immediately contacted the DEA in San Diego County and worked with a team.  We sent them Michael’s phone and they went from there.  After a month of surveillance of the person that sold Michael a fake prescription pill, a 19 year-old was arrested.  This was all during COVID when the courtroom was virtual.  This 19 year-old plead guilty to selling Michael a fake pill, but said that he did not know fentanyl were in the pills he was selling.  This 19 year-old was sentenced to only one year jail time for taking Michael’s life, but only served three months, and one strike on his record. There is no justice for Michael.