Police have opened an investigation after two people died and 11 were hospitalized after falling ill at a California music festival.
On site medical staff said that attendees became unwell for “unknown reasons,” during the Nocturnal Wonderland music, dance and art festival in San Bernardino, California.
According to sheriff officials, two of those individuals were later pronounced deceased.
No further deaths have been reported.
One of the deceased was reportedly Eli Gillespie-Rodriguez, 27, of Montebello, who attended the music festival before passing away, according to his family.
His mother, Marcellina Rodriguez, allegedly told FOX11 that her son went with friends to the festival, where she claims he either bought or was given drugs.
While the man’s aunt, Monica Rodriguez Espinoza said Rodriguez died on September 17 – one day after the festival started – believing he may have accidently taken a drug laced with fentanyl.
“We know Eli had a great love for life and his family,” Espinoza told the outlet.
“He would never have purposely done anything to lose any of that.”
Mercilla Rodriguez later described her son as a loving man who was a “protector” of people.
Cops say the deceased have yet to be formally identified.
The claims come after sheriff deputies arrested several festival attendees on suspicion of rape , spousal abuse, domestic battery, being drunk in public and petty theft.
They also issued a citation for possession of a controlled substance, sheriff staff said.
Official figures suggest that 70,000 revellers attended the four-day event that began on September 16.
And police have urged anyone with information regarding the incidents that occurred at the festival is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department via the contact the EDM Taskforce at the Central Station at 909-387-3545.
While callers wishing to remain anonymous can also contact the We-Tip Hotline at 800-78-CRIME (27463).
LMAO…assholes in CA can’t do anything right. Other then be the party of death.
Do some more fentynyl. Everybody in the country is aware of biden allowing the country to be over run with fentynyl. Anybody buying street drugs now deserves what they get. I hope they all voted for biden.