The Los Angeles County coroner’s office is investigating the deaths of two men at an apartment in West Hollywood on May 5.
The decedents were identified as Devon Jacob Lopez Bergman, 21, and Vaughn Frederick York, 53. Their bodies were found at approximately 9:40 a.m. in an apartment in the 1100 block of Hacienda Place.
The causes of death remain under investigation and have not been released. Authorities suspect the men died from drug overdoses.
Deputies from the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station were called to the scene and are monitoring the coroner’s office’s investigation. Someone first called an ambulance, and paramedics notified law enforcement. Foul play is not suspected. The coroner’s office is the lead investigating agency because the deaths are believed to be accidental, said sheriff’s department spokeswoman Kimberly Alexander.
West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran expressed concern about the deaths on May 6 and cited an increase in cases involving meth and cocaine laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Duran said although the cause of the deaths on May 5 are unknown, he wanted to call attention to fentanyl-laced drugs, especially because Pride month is occurring in June and many people may abuse drugs.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center and APLA Health offer free test strips that can be used to detect if fentanyl is present in substances. In advance of Pride month, the West Hollywood City Council has approved $15,000 for APLA Health and $5,000 for the LA LGBT Center to offer the strips.
The LA LGBT Center is offering the strips at all of its facilities, including its satellite offices in West Hollywood at 8745 Santa Monica Blvd.
“We will be aggressively outreaching during the Pride season to let people know they are available,” said Mike Rizzo, manager of addiction recovery services for the LA LGBT Center. “They are very easily and readily available.”











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