A 13-year-old child in west Columbus died from a drug overdose, and four people have been charged in connection with the incident. The police stated the accused were part of a family drug ring.
Numerous charges have been brought against Ema Loza De-Leon, Jose Garcia Huerta, Lezly Avila, and an underage child in connection with the youngster’s death on September 5, 2023, in a North Hilltop home, according to court filings.
The boy was discovered by police on the 200 block of North Warren Avenue, where it is said that he overdosed on a mix of cocaine and fentanyl.
Officers on the scene saw drugs in packages right in front of them, so they got a search warrant. Eight kilograms of drugs, including crack cocaine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, were ultimately found. Two guns were also found in the recovery.
After detectives and the Ohio Narcotic Intelligence Center looked through a number of electronic devices, three narcotics seizures followed.
A semi-tractor trailer that was traveling from California to Ohio was halted on November 9. After 15 kilograms of cocaine were found in the truck’s cab, Israel Garcia was reportedly taken into custody by the police. Garcia admitted to the authorities that he had once, at De-Leon’s request, provided 17 kg to the fourth juvenile suspect.
On January 10, a traffic stop led to De-Leon’s arrest. According to the police, De-Leon was in possession of a felony-sized quantity of drugs.
Two weeks later, during a search in the Columbus Far South neighborhood, close to the 100 block of Dering Avenue, two kilograms were found.
According to investigators, the evidence gathered showed that the suspects were purportedly in charge of a drug trafficking enterprise. Their fees are divided into:
- Ema Loza De Leon is accused with 27 felonies, including 12 counts of narcotics possession and 12 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
- Jose Garcia-Huerta is charged with 20 felonies in all, most of them are related to drug use and trafficking.
- Lezly Avila faces fourteen felonies related to drugs.
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The charges against Garcia Huerta and Avila also concern a second event from 2022, in which Joseph Mercado, Gildardo Sanchez Quezada, and Yeslin Melgar Maldonado are mentioned as suspects. Each of the three is charged similarly.
The youngster was 17 years old when the fourth suspect passed away. An arrest warrant for minor involuntary manslaughter was issued. A judge will be asked to move the case to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas by an 18-year-old juvenile prosecutor.
According to the police, if the request is approved, the suspect will be charged with the same offenses as Loza De Leon.
To all counts, which include either a significant drug offender specification, a firearm specification, or both, the suspects have entered not guilty pleas.
