Home / Crime and Justice / First Fentanyl Murder Conviction in West Texas
First Fentanyl Murder Conviction in West Texas
15 Sep
Summary
- Man convicted under new state law for drug-induced overdose death.
- Sentenced to 18 years for murder and 15 for drug charges.
- First such conviction in West Texas under recent state legislation.
In a landmark case, Eric Robles, 46, has become the first person in West Texas to be convicted and sentenced under a recent state law holding drug dealers accountable for overdose deaths. Robles pleaded guilty to murder and manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance in connection with the May 23, 2024, death of Jesus Ruben Hernandez, 49, who died in the Downtown El Paso County jail.
Robles received an 18-year prison sentence for the murder charge and a concurrent 15-year sentence for the drug charge. This conviction is a direct application of Texas House Bill 6, enacted in 2023, which allows murder charges for those distributing fentanyl that results in a fatality. District Attorney James Montoya emphasized the office's commitment to using all available laws to prosecute those who traffic in deadly substances.
Hernandez was found unresponsive during a jail check and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. An autopsy confirmed a lethal dose of fentanyl as the cause of death. Robles, who was in the same jail cell block as Hernandez, was found to be carrying over 25 grams of fentanyl hidden internally on the day he was transferred to a federal detention center.
