(January 30) An Aurora man already in jail on drug distribution allegations faces new charges after a month-long Aurora Police Department investigation connected him to the overdose death of a child.
Cesar Eduardo Mejia-Sanabria, 28, of Aurora was initially arrested on Dec. 20, 2022, on five counts of felony drug distribution charges. He was charged Wednesday by the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office with additional allegations of child abuse knowingly and recklessly causing death, and unlawful distribution of a controlled substance to a minor.
The charges stem from Dec. 11, 2022, when Aurora police officers responded to a report of a fatal drug overdose. The victim was 14 years old.
The Aurora Police Department is not releasing any additional information about the victim because they are a minor.
Investigators from Aurora’s Narcotics, Crimes Against Children and Gang Intervention units launched a joint investigation, identifying Mejia-Sanabria as a local narcotics dealer and a possible source of the fatal Fentanyl. On Dec. 20, investigators conducted a controlled operation resulting in the arrest of Mejia-Sanabria, as well as the seizure of 21.6 grams of Fentanyl, or approximately 220 pills, and 5.4 grams of methamphetamine.
Investigators continued pursuing leads for the next month. Cellphone data collected from the devices of both the suspect and the victim established enough probable cause to show Mejia-Sanabria was the source of the fatal Fentanyl, leading to the filing this week of additional charges.
“The dedicated investigative teams committed themselves to bring justice to a child victim in this case,” said Lt. Chris Poppe of Aurora police’s Investigative Services Section. “The partnership between Crimes Against Children detectives and undercover investigators, using a combination of traditional investigative techniques and covert tactics, brought this investigation to a successful conclusion and prevented this criminal from further victimizing our community.”
Anyone with information about this or any other crime is asked to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867). Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Joe Moylan
Public Information Officer
Public Affairs Unit
720.432.5095
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