Weapons and fentanyl seized

A 29-year-old Westminster resident has been arrested in connection with an incident in which a man died of an apparent overdose of fentanyl.

According to Sgt. Eddie Esqueda of the WPD, Michael De La Cruz was arrested on March 23 on four charges:

• possession of narcotics for sale
• possession of an assault weapon
• possession of large capacity ammunition magazine
• possession of an undetectable firearm.

The incident began at about 2:45 p.m.  when WPD officers were dispatched to the Calespana Apartments at 15150 Magnolia St. (south of Bolsa Avenue) regarding  a report of an unresponsive male. They found a man lying on his back on the living room floor of an apartment.

Orange County Fire Authority paramedics pronounced him dead on the scene from what appeared to be an overdose of the pain-killing drug fentanyl. Cruz, the renter of the apartment, was interviewed at the scene and arrested after a search warrant was served there.

The search yielded over five kilograms of suspected fentanyl, five assault rifles, and three handguns, including two “ghost” guns. The estimated street value of the drug is over $100,000.

WPD detectives urge anyone who has additional information to contact police at (714) 548-3212.