An 18-year-old was arrested after a stabbing that happened during a botched drug deal at an Irvine park, police announced Sunday.

The stabbing was reported after 1 p.m. Feb. 4 at Orchard Park in Irvine and involved two people who had arranged to meet there for a drug sale, the Irvine Police Department said in a news release.

The two were sitting inside the vehicle of the victim, who was trying to sell fentanyl pills to 18-year-old Eric Quintanilla of Irvine, police said.

At some point, the teenager demanded the pills without paying for them.

“When the victim refused, an altercation occurred and the victim was stabbed in the neck several times,” police said.

Quintanilla then fled the scene on foot.

Meanwhile, the victim went to Santa Ana, where he sought treatment for stab wounds that were described as being not life-threatening.

The next day, Irvine detectives found Quintanilla at his Irvine home and arrested him. He was booked into Orange County Jail and was being held without bail.

The victim, only identified as being an adult man, is potentially facing charges related to drug sales, according to authorities.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is around 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal — depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past use. 

Anyone who may have witnessed the crime is asked to contact Irvine police Detective Mahmood at mmahmood@cityofirvine.org.