By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Del Rio police said further tests on cocaine recovered from an apartment where two women were found dead in late August detected no fentanyl.
Police were dispatched to an apartment at 406 Ela St. on Aug. 28. When they arrived, they found two women, identified as Amy Nicole Barrera, 42, and Raquel Cerda Cedillo, 52, dead inside the apartment. A third occupant, a man, was unresponsive and taken to the hospital for treatment.
The man was identified Friday as Peter Herrera, a local musician who performs under the name Peter the 3rd, who was the tenant in the Ela Street apartment, Del Rio Police Department Lt. Hubert Smith, of the police department’s criminal investigations division, told the 830 Times in an interview.
“The case is currently open. There are no criminal charges pending, and no new information has been uncovered related to the case,” Smith said.
Smith said although no criminal charges are pending at this time, police will not rule them out entirely.
Smith said detectives investigating the case are still waiting on the autopsy reports on the two women found dead in the apartment, as well as the results of toxicology screens.
Smith said detectives have interviewed Herrera.
“Mr. Peter Herrera, who survived the incident, has been interviewed. During the interview, he informed detectives he does not recall the incident. At this moment, he is still considered a witness in the investigation,” Smith said.
Smith also said the police department has been following up a variety of leads in the case.
“We received several anonymous tips, and we did receive quite a bit of information. Some of it has already been checked and discarded. Some of it, we are still looking into, and the other tips were just hearsay,” Smith said.
Smith also said the incident is the first that Del Rio police have encountered “where fentanyl was mentioned.”
“The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) did test (drugs found) at the scene, and I know that on Sept. 7, we received a drug analysis laboratory report from the (Texas Department of Public Safety) lab in Laredo, and the results of tests on the white powdery substance found on a table (in the apartment) was determined to be cocaine only,” Smith said.
He reiterated no traces of fentanyl were found.
Smith and DRPD Capt. Rey Garcia, who heads the police department’s criminal investigations division, said police are still following leads in the case.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the DRPD’s criminal investigations division at (830) 774-8591. Police also reminded Del Rioans if they or someone they know needs help in dealing with an addiction, they can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s national helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
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