A teen who sold a 13-year-old Port Coquitlam girl a fatal dose of MDMA has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges.
The charge stems from an incident on July 15, 2017. At around 7 p.m., two girls, ages 13 and 16 years old, bought drugs from a street-level dealer at the 22nd Street SkyTrain station. The pair consumed the drugs, which turned out to be MDMA in a powdered form, before boarding a bus home to Port Coquitlam.
After getting off the bus, the 13-year-old went into medical distress. A passerby called 911, and the girl was rushed to Royal Columbian Hospital. She died in hospital.
According to police, a toxicology report confirmed the girl died from a lethal dose of MDMA. No traces of fentanyl were found.
The 16-year-old, who had also ingested the drugs, did not suffer the same adverse effect, according to police.
Following an investigation by the New Westminster Police Department’s street crime unit with assistance from Coquitlam RCMP, Transit Police and the Vancouver Police, police arrested a 15-year-old on Aug. 24, 2017.
Last week, the teen, whose identity cannot be revealed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in a controlled substance.
“This was a tragic and heartbreaking case. We hope that the family of the 13-year-old girl is able to get some sense of closure and peace after this very challenging time,” said Sgt. Jeff Scott, in a press release. “We encourage all parents to have an open dialogue with their teenagers about the risk of drug use. The (department’s) child and youth resource unit works with youth and families to understand these risks.”
The accused is schedule to return to court Jan. 15, 2019 to be sentenced.
