Home » Santa Clarita News » Crime » Court » Detectives Investigate Alleged ‘Drug Houses,’ 2 More Suspected Overdoses
While detectives with the Narcotics Unit continue their investigation into an alleged drug house near an elementary school, two families are dealing with death, after what’s suspected to be two more overdoses affecting the Santa Clarita Valley.
While detectives with the Narcotics Unit continue their investigation into an alleged drug house near an elementary school, two families are dealing with death, after what’s suspected to be two more overdoses affecting the Santa Clarita Valley.

Detectives Investigate Alleged ‘Drug Houses,’ 2 More Suspected Overdoses

While detectives with the Narcotics Unit continue their investigation into an alleged drug house near an elementary school, two families are dealing with death, after what’s suspected to be two more overdoses affecting the Santa Clarita Valley.


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Nadia Inez Esmaeel, 29, of Santa Clarita, and Eddie Sorensen, 33, formerly of Castaic, both died recently, neither in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Their deaths are believed to be related to drug overdoses. Medical examiners with the Coroner’s Office have yet to examine the bodies to make the official determination on the cause of death.

Sorensen was found at his residence in Littlerock on the 9000 block of E. Avenue T14.

Sorensen had a reported history of drug abuse, according to the Coroner’s Office, as well as hypertension. No drug paraphernalia was found at the scene, the coroner said.

Sorensen was on a leave from the Valley Recovery Center in Newhall, where he worked, at the time of his death, according to Arthur Mogilevski, who works at the center.

“He played an important role for our clients, and he really did help and introduce a lot of clients to 12 steps and started to help them in building a foundation for recovery,” Mogilevski said. “Unfortunately, the disease of addiction doesn’t matter if you’re three years clean, five years clean — it’s a lifelong battle. We’re here for his family and whatever they need in this difficult time.”

He had been working at the treatment center for about a month, but he’d already made an impact, he added.

Esmaeel was declared dead Friday at 7:19 p.m. in the Sylmar residence of a friend’s house, according to officials with the Coroner’s Office.

From a previous story: Deputies Arrest Occupants In Suspected Saugus ‘Drug House’

The drug house raids are part of the Narcotics Unit’s recent increased focus on heroin, in light of the three recent fatal overdoses, and another nine instances that weren’t fatal, according to officials.

Detectives have not said the two events are related, other than the recent arrests have been part of an increased focus on heroin, and where they find heroin, they often find methamphetamines, as well.

From a previous story: 5 Arrested At Suspected Canyon Country Drug House Near Elementary School

“It’s an ongoing investigation,” said Detective Vanderlaan, noting additional charges could still be levied against the five suspects, but information for the case is still being gathered.

The five charged included Alice and Gerard Cartier, who are a husband and wife; Brad Matheson, Trevor Fontana and Jessica Russ. Gerard was booked for maintaining a “drug house,” and the other four were charged with possession with intent to distribute narcotics. Additional charges could be added.

“The business of selling drugs has not gone away, it has not slowed down as a result of Proposition 47,” said Detective Vanderlaan of the Narcotics Unit.

“We can still do our job under Prop 47,” he said, “but it makes our job harder.” The difficulty comes from the fact that the voter-approved ballot measure that essentially decriminalized the possession of most narcotics also took away an incentive, potential jail time, law enforcement officials frequently use to not only obtain cooperation in investigations, but also in helping incentivize addicts toward sobriety.

Esmaeel had several pending cases at the time of her death, according to court officials.

She was arrested May 8 for a DUI charge. She was facing possession of heroin and methamphetamine charges; possession of an injection/ingestion device; a DUI with a drug with a prior DUI charge; and a DUI charge with at least two other DUI charges in the previous 10 years. She was due in court Monday to answer to the charges, according to a spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office.

“It’s a continuing reminder of the nature of the epidemic of heroin and opiate use,” said Bob Sharits, founder of The Way Out recovery and treatment center. “As a community, we need to continue to provide resources to people who are trying to get help, as well as continuing to talk openly about it.”

 

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

Detectives Investigate Alleged ‘Drug Houses,’ 2 More Suspected Overdoses

5 comments

  1. Not only help those who are addicted, go after the scum who sell drugs and spread the disease of addiction and violent crime. This is murder, and these two young people were killed by a poison that some politicians and misinformed Californians think is “non-violent”. The families of these two victims are forever traumatized while the drug dealers line their pocket with money, preying on the innocent. To do nothing allows this wave of death to take over our nation’s precious commodity, our children.

    • C.S., I sympathize with you, and understand your pain, frustration and anger; but as a recovering addict, former user, I would like to give my take on the whole “user/dealer” thing. 99.99% of the time, the people dealing are also addicts. Most (NOT ALL) are ONLY dealing so that they can afford the habit that is killing them as well. I am not making excuses for anyone. Addiction SUCKS (FOR EVERYONE EFFECTED). That anger you have, that was my starting point, I finally got mad at my addiction and said F&^% this, I am done. and I started fighting back.

      • Very eloquently stated. Most persons who are dealing are not ” lining their pockets with money” Their money goes into feeding their disease.
        The antiquated rhetoric from the ” Just Say No” war on drugs, is rather ignorant. But we Americans love to judge and poit fingers at others. Then, we never have to look at our own dirty little secrets. Stop the stigma. Stop the judgement. People are dying. It could be you’re child next. Believe me.
        The only drug dealers that are lining their pockets with billions of dollars and have killed possibly up to a million people is an industry I call, “big pharma.”

  2. While any loss of life is terrible and unfortunate, i don’t quite think it’s right to call the victims ‘Innocent’. They are no doubt victims, and my prayers go out to their families and anyone affected by addiction. But they made the choice on their own. Heroine isn’t a drug somebody starts off with their first time around, and it only takes one ‘hit’ to become addicted to the poison (and it is a poison, just like alcohol etc.) but they were adults, who knew
    what they were doing… Generally an addict searches out/around for their dealer. The dealer isnt usually advertising or pushing their product onto people who are not interested in the first place. Im not saying they’re not scum, just saying th generally aren’t on the corner trying too sell someone a produc they aren’t already looking for…

    • Although I have never done heroin. My mother is in the medical field. You may be correct in some cases. But a majority of persons who become addicted to opiates, begin taking it in a hospital, after an accident.
      They tgey are cut off too quickly, and in agony or just leave tge hospital addicted to morphine or demoral or Dikaudid. That is how my mother has met every heroin addict teen tgat she volunteers to help. The pharmaceutical companies need to take some responsibility here. They pushed opiates and made rather easily accessible. You need to educate yourself more. Judge less. God. I don’t miss living in Santa Clarita!

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.