A man was found guilty of manslaughter and several other charges Wednesday in connection to a 16-year-old girl's fentanyl overdose death, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
On August 7, 2020, officers with the Aurora Police Department were called out to 26-year-old Jorge Alexander Che-Quiab's home for a report of a possible overdose.
Che-Quiab and another man had supplied alcohol, marijuana and fentanyl to a group of underage girls during a gathering at Che-Quiab's home. According to the district attorney's office, Che-Quiab told police that one of the girls appeared to be suffering from an overdose, but he decided to go to sleep rather than get her help.
The next morning, others woke up, noticed the girl was not breathing and called 911. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene.
Che-Quiab admitted to authorities that before paramedics arrived, he flushed some of the remaining drugs down the toilet, according to the district attorney's office.
Investigators later learned that Che-Quiab sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl during the same gathering after giving her a large amount of alcohol, the district attorney's office said.
During a search of Che-Quiab's apartment, officers found roughly 300 pills containing fentanyl that were disguised as blue "M-30" Oxycodone pills, as well as several bricks of heroin. The total street value of the recovered narcotics was more than $20,000, according to the district attorney's office.
Che-Quiab was charged with several things, including:
- First degree murder (extreme indifference)
- Felony murder
- Two counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor
- Two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute
- Sexual assault of a child
- Enticement of a child
- Three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor
- Sexual assault (victim under 15)
- Attempted sexual assault
He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a jury trial began on April 25. After a six-day trial, an Arapahoe County jury found Che-Quiab guilty of:
- Manslaughter
- Two counts of distribution of a controlled substance to a minor
- Two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute
- Sexual assault of a child
- Sexual assault (victim under 15)
“This defendant used alcohol and extremely dangerous drugs to manipulate these girls for his own selfish purposes,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Gallo, who tried the case with Chief Deputy Darcy Kofol. “When it became clear one of them needed immediate medical care, he callously chose to do nothing.”
Che-Quiab's sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 21 at 3 p.m. He faces anywhere from eight to 116 years to life in prison, according to the district attorney's office.
“This is yet another tragic case underscoring the danger that fentanyl and other synthetic opioids pose,” District Attorney John Kellner said. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who distribute these poisons in our community.”
