Apr 19, 2007 7:21 pm US/Central
Man Who Sold 'Cheese' Arrested For Murder
by Steve Pickett
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
A Dallas man is behind bars after being charged with murder in connection with a teenager's accidental overdose on the drug "Cheese."
The drug "Cheese" is a deadly mixture of heroin and Tylenol P.M.
Police say 19-year-old Deleon Vanegas Junior came forward and admitted to supplying the drug to 15-year-old Vernando Cortez, a student at Molina High School. Vanegas also taught Cortez how to use the drug.
Cortez was found dead in a house on March 31. Vanegas is the boyfriend of the victim's sister.
Dallas police say they worked very closely with the district attorney's office before filing the murder charge against Vanegas.
"I did want this individual caught, and punished for his deeds," said the victim's father Fernando Cortez Sr. "My son was killed, that's the bottom line. He was killed."
Dallas Independent School District says the number of arrests involving possession of cheese has nearly doubled since this time last year.
Officials say there have been at least 17 "Cheese" related deaths since 2005. Usually drug over doses are labeled as accidental deaths. No one has been criminally charged for those deaths until now.
"The arrestee provided the drugs to the victim; he instructed him on how to use them," said Deputy Dallas Police Chief Jesse Reyes. "Those issues help us maintain a murder charge."
Police are also trying to find the man who gave Vanegas the drug. The charge of murder for supplying the drug is a direct attack on the drug trade.
The victim's father says his daughter in the hospital after being injured in a car crash. He says the car was driven by Vanegas.
Thursday night, he remains in the Dallas County jail on $200,000 bail. If convicted of murder, Vanegas faces five to 99 years to life in prison.
(CBS 11 News)
