2 Charged After Gwinnett Teen Overdoses On Counterfeit Fentanyl

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Two people were arrested Tuesday after police say a 16-year-old girl overdosed from counterfeit Percocet fentanyl, and police are using the case to warn the public about the consequences of illegal drug possession.

Drolvin Esau Calix-Rodriguez, 21, of Lawrenceville, and Elizabeth Faye Elliott, 19, of Norcross, were both charged in connection with the overdose investigation of the teenage girl, police said Thursday.

Calix-Rodriguez is charged on suspicion of two counts of sale of a schedule I or II controlled substance, violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a schedule I or II controlled substance with intent to distribute, VGCSA possession of cocaine and possession of a stolen firearm during commissions of a crime, police said.

Elliott is charged on suspicion of the sale of a schedule I or II controlled substance, police said.

"An essential part of keeping our community safe is the fight against selling, possessing and distributing illegal drugs by arresting and charging anyone who knowingly commits illegal acts that threaten the safety of our residents," police said in a news release.

"In Georgia, an individual can be charged with murder if they cause the death of another by supplying the illegal drugs directly or indirectly to the victim, who then overdoses due to that purchase."

Police noted the state's 911 Medical Amnesty and Expanded Naloxone Access Law protects the victim and caller who requests emergency medical services at the scene of a suspected drug overdose from being arrested, charged or prosecuted.

Anyone who knows someone who is experiencing an overdose should call 911 immediately, police said.

"A wide range of signs and symptoms can occur when a person overdoses and everyone responds differently. Accidental overdosing caused by recreational, illegal or illicit drugs is a life-threatening emergency," police said in the release.

A community resource is the free NARCAN training held at Navigate Recovery, 52 Gwinnett Drive, Suite A, in Lawrenceville, police said. GNR Public Health and Georgia Overdose Prevention sponsor the training.

For more information about the training, people can call (678) 743-1808, ext. 115, email the organization or visit GNR Health's website.