‘A Huge Loss’: L.A. Musician, DJ Among Three Found Dead in Suspected Fentanyl Overdose

Officials say a well-known musician and two other people were recently found dead in Los Angeles, California, after a suspected fentanyl overdose.

The three persons — Jose “Luis” Vasquez of the post-punk project dubbed The Soft Moon; DJ John “Juan” Mendez, whose stage name was Silent Servant; and Mendez’s partner, Simone Ling — were found dead in a downtown loft, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

The newspaper continued:

The three were found Thursday at Mendez’s and Ling’s residence at the Pacific Electric Lofts on Main Street after a welfare check sought by Vasquez’s wife, according to law enforcement sources not authorized to discuss the investigation. Drug paraphernalia was found at the scene, and the case is being investigated as a possible fentanyl overdose, the sources said.

“It‘s so sad for their families. This is a societal issue,” said Capt. Raul Jovel of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Central Division.

In a social media post on Friday, The Soft Moon announced Vasquez’s passing and asked people to share their memories of him.

“This is a huge loss, and our hearts are broken,” the message reads:

💔

Posted by The Soft Moon on Friday, January 19, 2024

In Los Angeles County’s November data report regarding fentanyl overdoses in the area, officials said:

In 2022, fentanyl surpassed methamphetamine to become the most common drug type listed as a cause of death in accidental drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County (LAC), accounting for 59% of all alcohol and other drug overdose deaths. There are unique risks associated with one-time fentanyl exposure and interventions such as naloxone are available to address fentanyl overdoses, which warrants focus on and need to understand the fentanyl crisis amid broader drug overdose concerns to inform activities to reduce the impact of fentanyl overdoses in our communities.

In December, Arizona candidate for the U.S. Senate Kari Lake (R) said during an interview with Breitbart News Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow that fentanyl pouring over the nation’s open border is a “weapon of mass destruction.”

“I met one mother who said, ‘My daughter took half of what she thought was a Xanax pill and was dead.’ A half of any pill should not kill you. It’s enough to kill you, and we’ve got to wake up. Finally, the Democrats are at least starting to say the word, but they’re part of the problem,” she stated.

WATCH — Kari Lake: Fentanyl Coming Across “Wide Open Border” Is a “Weapon of Mass Destruction”