TOWN OF AMSTERDAM – An Amsterdam man has been arrested in connection with a person’s overdose death in June, accused of criminally negligent homicide, Montgomery County Sheriff’s officials said.
Christian Y. Vega, 32, was indicted on the charge after a six-month investigation related to the death of a person from a fentanyl overdose June 20 in the town of Amsterdam, officials said.
The person was found unresponsive inside a vehicle in the driveway of a residence in the town that day. Rescuers attempted to save the person through the use of Narcan and CPR, but the person died. The person was not identified in a release Tuesday.
Toxicology tests showed the victim died of a fentanyl overdose, officials said.
Detectives launched an investigation into the person’s death. By the next day, they had enough evidence for a search warrant at Vega’s residence in Amsterdam. Inside, they found drugs, packaging materials and other items used in preparing and selling drugs, officials said.
They also found Vega there and he was arrested by city police on an outstanding drug warrant, officials said.
Investigators then obtained additional search warrants and evidence that supported the criminally negligent homicide charge, officials said. Officials did not elaborate on that evidence in the release.
Criminally negligent homicide is a Class E felony, the lowest level felony. It is defined as when someone causes the death of someone with “criminal negligence,” which itself is defined as when someone “fails to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk” that is a “gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation,” according to penal law.
The grand jury voted to indict Vega in November and he was arraigned on six counts Friday, including the death-related charge.
Vega was ordered held on $5,000 bail.
Categories: -News-, Fulton Montgomery Schoharie, News
