News release

Arrest made in 2024 youth fatal overdose investigation

January 15, 2026 - City of Prince George, British Columbia
From: Prince George RCMP

Content

Prince George RCMP’s Serious Crime Unit has made an arrest in the 2024 investigation into a fentanyl-related overdose that resulted in the death of a 16-year-old youth.

The investigation began when frontline police officers were called to a home in the College Heights area for a report of a youth victim who had been located there unconscious. The youth, who later died in hospital, was found to have high levels of fentanyl in their blood.

You can find a link to our original release below.

The B.C. Prosecution Service approved one charge of manslaughter in relation to this investigation and on January 13, 2026, police officers arrested a 17-year-old youth on an arrest warrant.

The youth was taken to court later that same morning and was subsequently released on conditions.

“This is a tragedy, and our thoughts continue to be with the deceased’s family.  We also recognize that this event has had a larger impact on the community including the accused and their family. Prince George RCMP is committed to making every effort to ensure that our youth are safe; to that end, we are pleased that this matter will be addressed by the court.  We also want to encourage parents, guardians and teachers to continue having hard conversations with youth about un-prescribed drug use and its inherent dangers,” states Staff Sergeant Whitehouse, Plainclothes Commander for Prince George RCMP.

This investigation is now before the courts. No further updates will be made. 

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