Massachusetts drug dealer accused of selling what victim thought was cocaine before death

A Massachusetts man is facing charges of manslaughter and distribution of a class A substance in connection with the March 2022 overdose death of a 36-year-old woman, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.

The charges against 31-year-old Jonathan Delacruz were filed Friday. He is accused of selling the drugs that caused the overdose.

Worcester police detectives and prosecutors from the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office worked in collaboration to bring charges forward against Delacruz.

Delacruz was arrested by Worcester police detectives Friday. He will be arraigned in Worcester District Court on Tuesday.

On March 18, 2022, Worcester police officers responded to Stowell Avenue for a report of an unresponsive female. The woman was transported to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Investigators learned the woman ingested what she believed to be cocaine shortly before she became unresponsive.

An autopsy conducted by the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the woman died from fentanyl intoxication. A toxicology report showed fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl and the animal tranquilizer, xylazine, were detected in the woman’s system. Cocaine was not detected.