Five individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the tragic drug overdose that claimed the life of Robert De Niro’s grandson. The incident occurred two years ago in the family’s residence located in New York City.
Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, aged 19 at the time of his passing, was discovered in the family’s abode at the Cipriani Club Residence on Wall Street in New York on July 2, 2023. He was the son of Drena De Niro, the eldest offspring of the renowned Oscar winner.
The New York City medical examiner’s office determined that De Niro-Rodriguez’s demise was due to an unintended drug overdose. Subsequently, on October 30, five individuals were apprehended on drug-related charges linked to the fatality.
Allegedly, the five suspects were part of an illicit network that distributed a substantial quantity of fake prescription opioid tablets tainted with fentanyl and other substances to young adults and adolescents in New York.
Reports suggest that the accused provided laced pills to three 19-year-olds, resulting in their deaths, including De Niro-Rodriguez and Akira Stein, the daughter of Blondie musician Chris Stein, who passed away two months before De Niro’s grandson.
Additionally, a female suspect has already been arrested in connection with De Niro-Rodriguez’s demise, bringing the total number of arrests to six. Sofia Haley Marks is accused of selling him the laced drugs a day before his untimely death and was subsequently charged with federal drug distribution.
Following her son’s demise, Drena De Niro asserted that the individual who sold him the pills was aware of the fentanyl contamination. She expressed her sentiments on Instagram regarding the matter.
According to reports, De Niro-Rodriguez was discovered unconscious in a chair at his family residence by a friend, prompting further investigation after the friend had not heard from him for several days.
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