LAROSE, La. (KPEL News) - A 15-year-old girl who thought she was taking Percocet is now dead and the toxicology report says fentanyl was what led to her death. With those toxicology results now revealed, charges have been upgraded against the man accused of selling her the drugs.

The case began on October 27, 2022, when Lafourche Parish Sheriff's deputies responded to an early morning call about a 16-year-old male in Galliano that was showing signs of an overdose. Then, deputies responded to a call about the girl. Detectives then figured out the two incidents were related.

“The male ended up surviving after deputies were able to revive him with Narcan," said Lafourche Parish Sheriff spokesman Captain Brennan Matherne to our news partners at Louisiana Radio Network. "The girl unfortunately was found dead that morning and it was a suspected drug overdose."

19-year-old Blayne Terrebonne of Larose was identified by investigators as the suspect and was charged with drug distribution.

Until the toxicology report came back.

Investigators say the girl bought the pill from Terrebonne the night before she died. Detectives say the pill was actually pressed from pure fentanyl and a high level of it was found in her blood.

Suspected Fentanyl Pills, photo via Lafourche Parish Sheriff
Suspected Fentanyl Pills, photo via Lafourche Parish Sheriff
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The picture you see above is a photo released by the sheriff's office of what they believe was a Snapchat ad for the drug. Here's the difference between Percocet pills and the fake fentanyl ones: the fakes are more powdery and do not have a dosage marking on the back.

Fentanyl has become a leading drug in an epidemic that takes over 100,000 lives each year, according to the CDC. The drug is often added to heroin without it being disclosed to the person buying the drug. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency outlines how dangerous fentanyl has become:

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment of cancer patients, applied in a patch on the skin. Because of its powerful opioid properties, Fentanyl is also diverted for abuse. Fentanyl is added to heroin to increase its potency, or be disguised as highly potent heroin. Many users believe that they are purchasing heroin and actually don’t know that they are purchasing fentanyl – which often results in overdose deaths. Clandestinely-produced fentanyl is primarily manufactured in Mexico.

Sheriff Matherne says they withheld murder charges pending the outcome of the autopsy and the toxicology report. Now, Terrebonne faces a charge of Second Degree Murder and sits in jail on a $500,000.00 bail.

There are two other arrests that were made in the case - 18-year-old Sergio Perez of Cut Off and 21-year-old Anthony Francis of Larose. They were also charged with drug distribution as investigators believe this could have been a fentanyl ring, WBRZ.com reported. Perez remains at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex. Terrebonne is back behind bars and Francis was released on bail in November 2022.

When you use a drug you bought off the street, you are — quite literally — risking your life,” Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said to WBRZ.com. “You are taking the word of a drug dealer on what the substance is. The question to ask yourself is whether the high you are seeking is worth dying over.

Let's take a look back at headline-catching cases involving fentanyl in 2022.

Fighting Fentanyl: Important Arrests Made Across Acadiana in 2022

The fight against fentanyl is a daunting one as the highly potent drug continues to take lives every day across the country. From Lafayette to the surrounding areas, law enforcement agencies have their hands full as they fight to get fentanyl off their respective streets.

Let's take a look back at headline-catching cases involving fentanyl in 2022.

List of Homicides and Deaths in Acadiana for 2023

Whether you pay attention to the news each day or just sporadically check in every once in a while, I think you will agree that we are often reading about homicides and deaths around Acadiana. 2023 seems to be showing that Acadiana will have a busy year when it comes to homicides, fatal crashes, and pedestrian deaths.

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