Atascadero police seize 124,850 lethal doses of fentanyl, arrest Paso Robles man

Atascadero police seized roughly 124,850 lethal doses of fentanyl and arrested a Paso Robles man after discovering the drugs during a traffic stop.

A vehicle belonging to Joshua Keith Hill, 43, was stopped at the intersection of West Mall and El Camino Real in Atascadero on Tuesday morning, according to a news release from the Atascadero Police Department.

Hill, who had a pending court case involving drug charges, had search-and-seizure terms as a condition of his bail, according to the news release.

When searching Hill’s vehicle, police officers allegedly discovered about half a pound of suspected fentanyl and an undisclosed amount of cash, the release said.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate that is deadly in small quantities.

A lethal dose of fentanyl is 2 milligrams, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

Hill was booked at the San Luis Obispo County Jail on two charges: possession of narcotics with intent to sell and felony committed while on bail, according to the booking log.

He is currently being held on $100,000 bond, and the Atascadero Police Department sought bail enhancement because Hill allegedly committed a felony while currently out of jail on bail.