Marcy Rodriguez of Montebello is trying to pick up the pieces after losing her 27-year-old son Eli just days ago.
Eli attended “Nocturnal Wonderland” in San Bernardino, a concert festival billed as “the best electronic dance music, camping and art festival in Southern California.”
At some point during the festival, Eli ingested an unknown type of drug. He overdosed and died at the scene.
Given the circumstances, his mother believes Eli died from fentanyl, a powerful opioid making its way into all kinds of drugs, typically as an additive, with deadly consequences in many cases.
“Whatever it is… it was a drug. It’s against the law,” Rodriguez said. “These festivals allow it in the open and our children are dying there.”
Rodriguez said she was not even allowed to see her son’s body because doctors were concerned that whatever killed him could poison or contaminate her if she got too close.
Fentanyl seems to be exploding on the black market and Eli’s death follows what investigators believe were the fentanyl-related deaths of two teenage girls.
Melanie Ramos, 15, overdosed on campus at Bernstein High School in Hollywood and family members say 14-year-old Luna Hinojosa died from a fentanyl-laced drug in La Puente.
Though her pain and agony may be unimaginable, Rodriguez is as determined and strong as she is hurting.
“Our adult children, our younger children are dropping faster than leaves off the tree,” Rodriguez said. “We need all of us to stand together and fight this war — this war on drugs.”