POMONA — A San Bernardino County woman has been charged with murder for allegedly supplying fentanyl to two young Covina men who died within less than a week of each other in what are believed to have been drug overdoses.
Isyss Ibisola Akerele, 21, of Colton, was charged with two counts of murder in connection with the March 31 death of 20-year-old Andrew Nunez and the April 4 death of 18-year-old Rickey Renta III, along with three drug-related counts and an allegation that she was free on bail or her own recognizance at the time of the alleged crimes in connection with an earlier arrest in San Bernardino County, Deputy District Attorney Phil Stirling told City News Service Wednesday.
“It is believed both victims died after ingesting fentanyl. The defendant is charged with two counts of murder based upon her alleged role in furnishing fentanyl to both victims,” the prosecutor said.
Nunez died at a hospital and Renta died at a residence, according to records from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, which listed the cause of the young men’s deaths as “deferred.”
Akerele was arrested April 4 by Covina police after an undercover operation, according to the prosecutor.
Akerele — who appeared in a Pomona courtroom Wednesday — is due back in court for arraignment June 20.
She remains behind bars without bail, according to Los Angeles County jail records.
Fentanyl is manufactured in overseas labs, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, which says the synthetic opioid is smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border by cartels.
The drug is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and ingestion of only two milligrams can be fatal.
