Glendale Police ID 3 men killed in apparent drug overdoses

BrieAnna J. Frank | The Republic | azcentral.com

Police on Monday identified three people found dead Sunday from apparent drug overdoses in Glendale.

The three were identified as Michael Smith, 36; Heath Spencer, 44; and Angel Cruz, 37.

Officials responded to a home near 59th Avenue and Cactus Road and found all three dead inside, along with methamphetamine, fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia, Glendale police said.

Personnel from the Glendale police and fire departments, Phoenix police and fire departments, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration entered the home with breathing apparatuses, the department said. Concerns about the substances in the home and neighborhood safety prompted police to call a hazardous materials team to the scene to aid in the investigation, Glendale police said.

Detectives confirmed that the men were using drugs before they died. It wasn't immediately clear whether the drugs they took contained fentanyl, a powerful opioid, the department said.

A Glendale police statement noted that fentanyl's effects can "appear very rapidly" and can include respiratory distress, unresponsiveness and cardiac arrest.

The substances found in the home were sent to labs for further analysis. The Medical Examiner's Office will determine each man's official cause of death.

The investigation continues.

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