MIAMI – A 31-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with a fatal fentanyl overdose that police say occurred outside a business in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood last year.
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Authorities said Christian Rivera, who is listed as homeless in his arrest report, was arrested by officers with the Miami Police Department and is accused of unlawfully distributing a narcotic substance that led to the October 2024 death of a man who collapsed after ingesting drugs laced with fentanyl.
First responders were called to a home near the 2900 block of Northwest 17th Avenue around 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 16, 2024, after police said an unresponsive man was found outside a storefront in the area.
They say the man, who has not been identified, was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 9 a.m.
Detectives said surveillance video from the scene showed the victim speaking with Rivera before sitting on a chair and appearing to ingest an “unknown quantity of narcotics,“ an arrest report stated.
Moments later, police said the victim fell from the chair and lost consciousness. They said Rivera was then seen taking something from the victim’s pocket and walking away.
Officers processing the scene said they found a small plastic baggie containing white residue, which later tested positive for fentanyl.
A be-on-the-lookout alert was issued for a suspect matching Rivera’s description, which investigators said included a distinctive hat, black clothing and red sneakers. They said he was located later that same day near Northwest 16th Avenue and 21st Street and agreed to speak with investigators.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office later ruled that the victim died from acute combined drug toxicity, including fentanyl, cocaine, ethanol and other substances.
Police said Rivera, who was already in custody at Metrowest Detention Center on an unrelated charge, gave a recorded statement on Wednesday that was redacted from the publicly-released report.
However, investigators said Rivera admitted he was at the scene and claimed the victim asked him for a “hit” of his narcotics following an argument.
Authorities determined that Rivera knowingly distributed a pill containing fentanyl, which directly led to the victim’s death.
Based on that evidence, investigators said they found probable cause to charge Rivera with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance causing death — a first-degree felony under Florida law.
As of Thursday, he is being held without bond at the MWDC.
