4 Arrested In San Francisco's First Confirmed Cychlorphine Overdose Death — A 16-Year-Old

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Four people were charged Monday as part of a drug investigation that started when a San Francisco teenager fatally overdosed after taking multiple drugs, including a powerful new synthetic opioid, police said.

Christina Lacourte entered her son's bedroom the morning of April 7 and found him turning blue, according to a New York Times report.

She rushed for the Narcan she kept in her kitchen, but despite her best efforts, her son, Dante, died, according to the report.

Lacourte suspected Dante had overdosed, perhaps from fentanyl, according to the report.

But an autopsy from the Medical Examiner’s Office said Dante had died from a combination of drugs, including one that remains the only time it's ever appeared on a San Francisco coroner’s report — cychlorphine, according to the New York Times.

Cychlorphine is estimated to be 10 times more potent than fentanyl.

On Friday, San Francisco prosecutors slapped Nicholas Wallace, 46, Leander Pitts, 46, Sharonee Hyson, 44, and Star Lamar, 39, with several drug and gun charges stemming from the investigation into Dante's death.

When Dante's died, officers collected evidence from his home and began trying to find the source of the pills, police said.

After identifying several sources, officers took part in controlled drug buys and tested the pills, police said. Inside several of those pills were cychlorphine, police said.

Investigators secured arrest warrants for Wallace, Pitts, Sharonee and Hyson, police said.

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, officers served a warrant at Wallace's San Francisco home in the 700 block of O’Farrell Street and found pills believed to contain oxycodone and cocaine, authorities said.

Hyson, who was on parole at the time, was at Wallace's home when officers showed up, police said.

She was carrying 11.7 grams of cocaine base and a loaded gun when officers arrested her, police said.

The next day, officers served warrants on two separate homes and arrested Lamar and Pitts, police said.

Inside the homes were more than 20,000 counterfeit pills, including Xanax, oxycodone, hydrocodone, cyclobenzaprine and fentanyl, police said.

Officers also seized 68.5 grams of MDMA, 6.5 grams of black tar heroin, a semi-automatic assault rifle, a semi-automatic pistol and $2,267 in cash while serving the warrants, police said.

"Our investigators will stop at nothing to ensure deadly narcotics are taken off our streets and individuals who peddle them are arrested and held accountable," San Francisco Police Department Chief Derrick Lew said. "This tragic case highlights the dangers these deadly drugs pose to our community."

The full charges for each defendant are listed here:

Wallace: Two counts of selling a substance in lieu of a controlled substance, one count each of possession for sale or purchase of a controlled substance, attempted selling a substance in lieu of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm with a prior violent conviction and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Pitts: One count each of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of ammunition, possession of a large-capacity magazine and selling a substance in lieu of a controlled substance.

Hyson: One count each of possession for sale of cocaine base, unlawful possession of a controlled substance with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Lamar: Three counts of sale and giving away a controlled substance, three counts of selling a substance in lieu of a controlled substance, possession for sale or purchase of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of ammunition, possession of an assault rifle.

The case remains under investigation, police said. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444.