DENTON, Texas — Authorities announced Thursday the arrests of two suspects in connection with a fentanyl-related death of a 29-year-old man in Denton, according to the police and sheriff's department.
On October 18, authorities say they received a call from a woman who said she found a man dead in the hotel room bed when she woke up.
When authorities arrived at the hotel in the 3700 block of S. Interstate 35E, they pronounced Corey Alan Culver of North Carolina dead at the scene.
According to the press release, detectives spoke with the woman who dialed 911, Tabitha Balent, 38, of Denton. Detectives found drugs and two circular blue pills, which were believed to be counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl, during a search of the hotel room, police say.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Culver’s cause of death as combined cocaine and fentanyl toxicity.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Balent’s phone and found multiple text messages between Balent and the victim about Balent acquiring “percs” and delivering those pills to Culver's hotel, according to police.
Detectives also found text messages to Raymond Hernandez, 37, about buying drugs from him, police say. The Sheriff’s office says they were already investigating Hernandez on a separate narcotics case.
“Fentanyl is a scourge in our community,” said Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree. “We must hold those accountable who are killing our citizens.
Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid that has become a dominant player in the illicit market, and it’s increasingly being mixed into other substances, federal authorities say.
"We must all remain vigilant in rooting out the sources of this drug before even more lives are taken from us," said Denton Police Chief Doug Shoemaker.
On December 13, Denton PD, DCSO, and the U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force arrested Balent and Hernandez at their shared home in Denton.
Authorities say Hernandez admitted to supplying the pills, and Balent admitted to giving the pills to Culver.
Balent is currently in the Denton County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Hernandez is in the City of Denton Jail with a bond set at $150,000.
