Police say quick thinking and a fast response is the reason three Garland teenagers are recovering after they nearly overdosed on fentanyl.
Garland police say the first call came from the AMC Theater inside Fire Wheel Mall. There a 16-year-old girl watching the Barbie movie was discovered unconscious, Garland police say the manager administered DPR before Garland police and fire rushed in.
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WATCH HERE"The young man that she was with actually took off and left her there so that was pretty suspicious in nature," said Garland Police Lt. Richard Maldonado. "At the same time, right down from the theater at TGIFridays, we get another call of two unresponsive females in the bathroom."
Two 17-year-old girls were given life-saving doses of Narcan by Garland fire paramedics who immediately knew they were dealing with fentanyl overdoses.
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SIGN UP "It's very concerning because we're thinking 'Are we going to get a third call?'" said Maldonado.
Maldonado says after speaking with the girls and searching their phones, detectives tracked down 19-year-old Erik Santos.
Police suspect, after meeting him online, Santos provided the three teenage girls with blue fentanyl pills.
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Detectives say they believe the girls knew they were taking the dangerous synthetic opioid and snorted it before separating.
Maldonado has a plea for parents.
"These are your kids, we encourage parents to have dialogue with their kids. I know it can be difficult but we need to be involved in our kids' lives," he said. "See who they're hanging out with who are they talking to what are they doing on social media."
Santos is currently in the Garland Detention Center, charged with three counts of delivery of a controlled substance causing serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony. He's being held on $450,000 bond. It is not known if he has an attorney.
To contact the Garland Police Department's Behavioral Health Unit for advice or answers, call 972-205-4604. Calls will be directed to the best resources available for fentanyl addiction, according to the department.
