Rodney Rey Yanez facing second-degree murder charge in connection with 2023 fentanyl overdose

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – On Thursday, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Diana Aizman decided that a charge of second-degree murder against Rodney Rey Yanez for providing fentanyl that resulted in the death of Dylan Rusch in 2023 can proceed to trial.

After a four-day preliminary hearing where 16 witnesses were called to testify, the proceedings will be the first murder charge for a fentanyl-related death in Ventura County history shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Yanez is also facing an additional nine felony and four misdemeanor charges related to alleged drug possession and sales added the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

"We believe the evidence in this case is compelling and fully supports the judge's findings," said Senior Deputy District Attorney Audry Nafziger who is prosecuting the case. "We are prepared and eager to present this case to a jury at trial."

On Sep. 20, 2023, officers and emergency medical personnel responded to a reported overdose in the restroom of a gas station in the 1500 block of W. Gonzales Road stated the Oxnard Police Department.

First responders attempted life-saving measures on the man -later identified as Dylan Rusch- who was an employee of the gas station at the time, but they were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene detailed the Oxnard Police Department.

According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, toxicology results from the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office showed a lethal amount of fentanyl was the cause of Rusch's death.

Yanez is accused of selling the fentanyl to Rusch at the gas station where he later overdosed in the bathroom stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

In the 14 months before Rusch's overdose death, Yanez is alleged to have committed a series of drug-related offenses including transporting fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs and he was arrested by the Oxnard Police Department on July 24, 2024, shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Yanez faces the following charges and special allegations and charge enhancements:

• PC 187(a)-Second-Degree Murder
• HS 11352-Transport, Sell, or Distribute Controlled Substance (fentanyl)
• HS 11350(a)-Possession of a Controlled Substance (fentanyl)
• HS 11377(a)-Possession of a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine)
• Three Counts of HS 11379(a)-Sale/Transport/Offer to Sell a Controlled Substance
• Three Counts of HS 11378-Possession For Sale of a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine)
• HS 11352(a)-Sale/Transportation/Offer to Sell a Controlled Substance (fentanyl)
• HS 11351-Possession for Sale of a Controlled Substance (fentanyl)
• HS 11350(a)-Possession of a Controlled Substance (heroin)
• HS 11350(a)-Possession of a Controlled Substance (cocaine)
• Special Allegation CRC 4.421(a)(8)-Manner in which the Crime was Carried Out Indicates Planning, Sophistication, and Professionalism
• Special Allegation PC 1170.73-Quantity of Controlled Substance
• Special Allegation CRC 4.421(a)(10)-Crime Involved a Large Quantity of Contraband

Yanez remains in custody with bail set at $1 million and he is next scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on April 10, 2025, for an arraignment on information detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

"This case marks an important step in our ongoing efforts to hold drug dealers accountable for the deadly consequences of fentanyl," explained Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who profit from this poison and pursue justice for victims and their families."

In 2023, the Ventura County Medical Examiner reported 265 total overdose deaths with fentanyl found in the systems of 178 of those people shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

For more information about fentanyl, resources for those struggling with addiction, and where to get overdose rescue kits, click here.