Westwood man charged in teen's fentanyl-laced drug overdose death

A Westwood man was charged in the fentanyl-laced drug overdose death of a teenager in September 2023, authorities said Wednesday.

Jordan Clarke, 24, has been charged with first-degree strict liability in a drug-induced death, as well as third-degree distribution of fentanyl and alprazolam. He was taken to the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack on Friday.

The arrest stems from Sept. 14, 2023, when the Park Ridge Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting an unresponsive juvenile. Upon arrival, officers discovered the victim and tried to save the teen's life, including with naloxone. Despite efforts to revive the victim, the teen was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

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Signs of a possible drug overdose were observed, prompting detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force to be notified.

Further investigation revealed that the victim had ingested a fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pill, with the cause of death determined to be acute fentanyl intoxication, the Prosecutor’s Office said.

Over the course of a six-month investigation, authorities identified Clarke as the person they said was responsible for distributing the drug to the victim.

On March 8, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Park Ridge Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in Paterson, where Clarke was staying with relatives. Evidence related to the investigation was found at the scene, leading to Clarke's arrest, the Prosecutor’s Office said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Westwood NJ man charged in teen's fentanyl-laced overdose death