Heartbreaking Fentanyl Kills Her Only Child

By Jondi Gumz

Fernando Sanchez was an only child — a witty, smart, a boy who loved rap music and who kept journals. He was 17, an 11th grader with his whole life ahead of him.

On March 26, 2020, when the lockdown prevented his family from their usual Wednesday night dinner with Aunt Marie, he decided to hang out with two friends. They had bought pills they thought were Xanax — which teens consider a party drug — from a dealer on Snapchat. ... continues on page 4

Mountain Lion Research & Protecting Livestock

We live in mountain lion territory.

In June, Audubon Canyon Ranch, a nonprofit based in Stinson Beach, posted a blog by Quinton Martins, a conservationist PhD from South Africa and the founder of Living with Lions in Sonoma, on protecting wildlife and livestock in mountain lion territory.

Full Story page 5

Supervisor Zach Friend: No Fourth Term Full Story page 8

Tiny Homes Built By Students

Did you know students in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District are building tiny homes? They are in the building and construction trades pathway in Career Technical Education, a program of career exploration and work-based learning.

Full Story page 6

Cover Heartbreaking: Fentanyl Kills Her Only Child, By Jondi Gumz

Community News

4 End Overdose Event

5 Mountain Lion Research & Protecting Livestock

6 Tiny Homes Built By Students: Granite Construction Gives $50,000 To Support Work Experience

7 Homeless Point in Time Count • Point in Time Homeless Count • New Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency Leader

8 Supervisor Zach Friend: No Fourth Term, By Jondi Gumz • He Actually Works for the Common Good, by Rene Schlaepfer • A Very Caring Individual, by Jess Brown • A Force for Cohesion, by Robley Levy

9 Kristen Brown to Run For Supervisor, By Jondi Gumz

10 Thoughtful and Inclusive, by Michael Watkins • A Person Who Sees the Big Picture, by John & Karen Hibble

11 CASA Welcomes New Advocates

12 Rick Kepler in Maui: How to Help, By Jondi Gumz • Red Cross Aids Maui after Wildfires, By Jondi Gumz • Twin Lakes Church: Our Hearts With Maui

14 Gene Castillo of Lahaina Asks for Help

17 Cabrillo College: No Name Change Yet, By Jondi Gumz • Learn from History, by John Marinovich • Focus on High School Seniors, by Andrew Morrissey

18 Construction on Sgt. Gutzwiller Memorial Moves Forward, By Kieran Kelly

20 Rio Del Mar Walkway Closed Off

21 Aptos History Museum Needs a New Home, By John Hibble

22 New in Aptos, Photo Credit Brooke Valentine • Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane Project Begins

23 Update: SB 14 Sex Trafficking of a Minor, By Jondi Gumz

30 Janus Awarded Federal Grant

Local Sports

13 MVCS’ New Tennis Coach: Haley Loredo

Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – August — the Rising of Sirius & the Light of Leo, By Risa D’Angeles

Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

Featured Columnists

24 Should They Allow Phone Calls on Planes?, By Christopher Elliott

27 Sharing Secrets & Finding Freedom, By Barry and Joyce Vissell

30 County Behavioral Health & Homeless Funding, By Zach Friend, Supervisor, Second District

831-359-4670

Patrice Edwards editor

Jondi Gumz contributing writers

Jondi Gumz, Rene Schlaepfer, Jess Brown, Robley Levy, Michael Watkins, John & Karen Hibble, John Marinovich, Andrew Morrissey, Kieran Kelly, John Hibble, Risa D’Angeles, Christopher Elliott, Barry and Joyce Vissell, Zach Friend layout

Michael Oppenheimer graphic artists

Michael Oppenheimer

“Fernando Sanchez” from page 1

But the pills were not Xanax.

They contained the opioid fentanyl, deadly in a tiny quantity equivalent to 10 to15 grains of table salt, and Tramadol, a painkiller that can cause difficulty breathing.

Fernando’s friends passed out, so Fernando walked to his best friend’s house, where his friend’s mom checked on him and called 911.

Paramedics administered Narcan, which is reported to reverse the effects of fentanyl but it didn’t revive him, recalled his mom Lisa Marquez of Gilroy.

When she went with her sister to the hospital, she thought “he’s in the ambulance — they’re able to save people” but she was told point-blank, “he didn’t make it.” production coordinator

Camisa Composti media consultants

Teri Huckobey, Brooke Valentine office coordinator

Cathe Race distribution

Bill Pooley, Taylor Brougham

Times Publishing Group, Inc. 9601 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003

The Times Publishing Group, Inc., publishers of the Aptos Times, a bi-monthly publication, the Capitola Soquel Times and Scotts Valley Times, each printed monthly, Coastal Weddings Magazine, Coastal Home and Garden Magazine, Aptos’ Fourth of July Parade Official Program Guide and Capitola’s Summer Festivals Official Program Guide, is owned by Patrice Edwards. Entire contents ©2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission

PHONE: (831) 688-7549

FAX: (831) 688-7551

GENERAL E-MAIL: info@cyber-times.com

Patrice Edwards: patrice@cyber-times.com

Publisher’s Assistant: assistant@cyber-times.com

Editor: info@cyber-times.com

Calendar Listings: www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Graphics Department: graphics@cyber-times.com

Billing Inquiries: cathe@cyber-times.com

Classified Sales: sales@cyber-times.com

Production: production@cyber-times.com

CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.tpgonlinedaily.com mission statement

We at the Times Publishing Group, Inc. are dedicated to providing a voice for the individuals and organizations in our community while highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of our local businesses. We seek to promote healthy family values through our coverage of youth activities, school news, senior events, community groups and entertainment

Now Marquez, who is 43, is on a mission to educate parents and children about the dangers of buying drugs online.

“The majority of pills you order are doing to have fentanyl, it’s so cheap and easy to make,” she said. “Everything you have for yourself could be thrown away because of one pill.”

As for her son, she said, “He should have been able to make dumb mistakes and learn, but he didn’t get a second chance.”

Marquez’ first reaction: “I have to warn these kids.”

She posted on Facebook, sharing what happened, not worrying what anyone would think about her or her son.

She didn’t know anything about fentanyl then.

The post was shared 2.8 thousand times.

She has become an expert on fentanyl.

“It’s odorless,” she said. “You can’t tell the difference.”

And if Narcan saves you from fentanyl overdose, you can end up addicted — because fentanyl is 50 times more powerful than heroin — “that’s scary,” she said.

Test strips are not the answer, she added, because if you cut the pill in half to test it in water, the fentanyl can be in the untested half.

“We just went to court,” she said.

The man who sold the deadly drug to her son got three years for that crime.

“He’ll do maybe a year,” she said. “It won’t bring my son back.” n

End Overdose Event Aug. 31

Lisa Marquez will speak Thursday, Aug. 31 at the #EndOverdose event hosted by Watsonville Community Hospital, 75 Nielson St., Watsonville.

A resource fair include free Narcan will take place 3-4 p.m. Speakers from 4-5:30 p.m. in the community room will include family who have lost a loved one, survivors, first responders and health care workers.

For information, contact Ashlee_ DeHerrera@watsonvillehospital.com