The man accused of providing the Ecstasy that caused a 14-year-old Belmont girl to overdose at a weekend slumber party could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of multiple felonies.
Antonio Rivera, 20, was arrested on charges of furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, child endangerment and possession of a controlled substance for sale and conspiracy. The District Attorney's Office will decide what charges to formally file against Rivera this morning.
The charges he was arrested on could send Rivera to prison for six to 10 years, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Cases of adults providing illegal substances to minors are not uncommon in the county, Wagstaffe said. Dozens are usually arrested on such charges whenever there is a rave thrown at the Cow Palace, he said.
"The only thing abnormal is if somebody dies," Wagstaffe said.
Rivera was booked into San Mateo County Jail on $100,000 bail and will be arraigned this afternoon. Meanwhile, the victim, an eighth-grader at Ralston Intermediate School, remains in critical condition at a local hospital.
Rivera and a 17-year-old male were both arrested after the girl was found unconscious at a friend's home Saturday morning. The girl and two other 14-year-old girls reportedly took the same drug but only one suffered the severe reaction. Officials have not released whether her condition is purely a result from the drug, from taking other substances with it or some type of allergic reaction.
"I'm comparing it to a can of beer. One person can drink it and be fine. Another drinks the same thing and is laid out flat. You never can tell," said Belmont police Capt. Patrick Halleran.
Ecstasy, the common name for MDMA, is a manmade "club" drug associated with feelings of euphoria. In overdoses, it has been shown to cause dehydration, hypothermia and loss of consciousness.
The girl was found passed out Saturday morning. Police and fire responded at 7:15 a.m. and transported the girl to a local hospital in critical condition.
Adults were present at the home in the 2500 block of Lincoln Avenue but were not aware of what the three girls were doing, according to Belmont police.
At about 6:45 p.m. Saturday, a 17-year-old youth was arrested and charged with furnishing Ecstasy to the victim. His name is being withheld because he is a minor. Police are not saying how the two suspects are connected to the victim, Halleran said.
The next day, police arrived at Rivera's home with a warrant and confiscated Ecstasy pills, rock cocaine, powder cocaine and marijuana. Police believe Rivera gave the Ecstasy to the 17-year-old who in turn gave it to the victim.
Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.
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Dirk van Ulden said:
It does not matter to the Dems. Even if Putin and Pol Pot had a D behind their names, the democrats would vote for them with their blinders on.
Dirk van Ulden said:
CA Is Burning said:
CA Is Burning said:
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