REACHED A DEAD END. SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW A NEW RUSSIAN FORCES. >>> OUR NATION'S FENTANYL CRISIS IS HITTING THE BAY AREA HARD. TEENAGERS, EVEN CHILDREN, ARE DYING WITH THE POWERFUL PIOID IN THEIR SYSTEMS. >> WE FOUND A PARTICULARLY TROUBLING ONE INVOLVING A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL AND SAN JOSE MAN. THIS RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES POSSIBLY DROPPING THE BALL. >> Reporter: THIS CASE SURROUNDS A 16 KROELD GIRL FOUND DEAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S HOME WITH DRUG IN HER SYSTEM. THE PARENTS SAY INSTEAD OF TREATING IT AS A POTENTIAL CRIME SCENE DEN AT THISES DISMISSED IT AS JUST ANOTHER OVERDOSE. MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD THOSE WHO GAVE HER THE DRUGS ACCOUNTABLE. THE CALL CAME IN AT 7:40 P.M. IN UNINCORPORATED SANTA CLARA COUNTY. THE POSSIBLE FENTANYL POISONING. SHE WAS IN MICHAEL RUSSELL'S FAMILY HOME, REPORTEDLY BARELY BREATHING. SANTA CRUZ COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE'S OWN INCIDENT REPORT SHOWS THEY TREATED THE CALL AS AN OVERDOSE. PRICE COULDN'T BE REVIVED. THE CORONER WAS NOTIFIED. >> 1766 RETURNING. >> A LITTLE BIT OVER A TIME THE CALL IS RECEIVED IT IS CLOSED AND TURNED OVER TO THE CORONER'S OFFICE. IN MY OPINION, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TREATED AS A SUSPICIOUS DEATH. >> Reporter: THREE MONTHS LATER, RUSSELL WAS CRIMINALLY CHARGED WITH HAVING SEX WITH TWO MINORS, INCLUDING PRICE AND PROVIDING THEM WITH XANAX AND PERCOCET. >> CAN YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU SAW LACE? >> I SAW HER IN HER CASKET. I PUT HER MAKEUP ON HER, AND I DID HER HAIR. AND THAT MATTERS TO ME. >> Reporter: IT'S NOT JUST PRICE'S MOTHER FEELING THIS PAIN. THE NUMBERS OF FATAL FENTANYL POISONINGS ARE SOARING. LAST YEAR SAN FRANCISCO SAW 476 DEATHS. SFPD INVESTIGATED A DEATH INVESTIGATION IN FEBRUARY AFTER FINDING A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL SUSPECTED OF OVERDOSING IN THIS ALLEY. HE DOESN'T THOUGH THE GIRL BUT VISITED HER MEMORIAL OVERCOME WITH EMOTION. >> SHE WAS A BABY SHE WAS SOMEBODY'S BABY. >> Reporter: AND JUST RECENTLY IN THE SOUTH BAY, ON APRIL 1st, POLICE SAY A LOS ALTOS STUDENT WAS FOUND DEAD, POSSIBLY FROM FENTANYL. IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY WHERE THE PRICES ARE FROM, FATAL FENTANYL POISONINGS NEARLY QUADRUPLED, SURGING MORE LAST YEAR. ARE THERE ANY MORE CRIMINAL CHARGES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SE? >> YEAH, I WOULD SAY MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER, SOMETHING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR HER NOT BEING HERE ANYMORE. >> Reporter: RUSSELL IS NOT BEING CHARGED WITH ANYTHING RELATED TO HER DEATH. HER PARENTS WANT TO KNOW WHY. PROSECUTORS DECLINED TO PROVIDE DETAILS. SO THE INVESTIGATIVE UNIT SPOKE TO D.A. JEFF ROSEN WHO MADE THE CALL TO FILE A DRUG CHARGE AFTER A SAN JOSE GIRL DIED FROM TAKING A PILL LACED WITH FENTANYL. >> WE CHARGE FENTANYL WHEN WE CAN PROVE THAT THE DRUG DEALER NOUHOU DANGEROUS FENT NAL WAS, KNEW THAT PEOPLE COULD DIE FROM USING A TINY AMOUNT AND SOLD IT ANYWAY TO PUT PROFIT OVER HUMAN LIFE. >> Reporter: OFFICIALS ARE SOUNDING THE ALARM. DEALERS ARE ADDING FENTANYL TO OTHER DRUGS BECAUSE IT'S EXTREMELY POTENT, IT MAKES THE DRUGS CHEAPER TO PRODUCE, MORE DANGEROUS. IT REQUIRES A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION FROM THE START. >> OTHERWISE EVIDENCE THAT WE WOULD NEED DISAPPEARS. >> Reporter: RUSSELL IS ALSO CHARGED WITH CONCEALING OR DESTROYING HER PHONE. DEPUTIES FAILED TO LOOK AT HER DEATH AS A POSSIBLE CRIME WHEN THE 911 CALL CAME IN. >> JUST THE SLOPPINESS. >> I ASKED THE OFFICER, IF A MINOR WAS IN MY HOME TODAY AND I CALLED YOU AND SAID THEY WERE DEAD ON THE FLOOR, WOULD MY HOUSE BE CALLED A CRIME SCENE? AND HE SAID YES. I SAID YOU FAILED, AND HE SAID "I KNOW." WE TRIED THREE DIFFERENT WAYS TO REACH JIM HART. HE DECLINED AN INTERVIEW. WE E-MAIL SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND NEVER GOT A RESPONSE. SO WE WENT BY HIS OFFICE. WE'RE GOING TO SEE IF HE COMES OUT TO TALK TO US. >> WE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY TAKE THIS ISSUE VERY SERIOUSLY. >> Reporter: JOHANNA SCHOENFELD SUPERVISES THE NARCOTICS UNIT. SHE CAN'T TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC CASES BUT SAYS HER OFFICE WORKS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO FIGHT FENTANYL. >> THE DEATH TO ME IS TO LATE FOR THE FOCUS TO BE THE EMPHASIS. BELIEVE THE EMPHASIS NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH FURTHER UPSTREAM. >> Reporter: WHAT DO YOU MEAN? >> WHY ARE THE DRUGS BEING USED TO BEGIN WITH? >> Reporter: THEY FEEL THERE IS MORE OF A BLAME PLACED ON THE VICTIM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND NOT ACTUALLY ON THE PEOPLE THEY FEEL ARE PROVIDING THE DRUGS AND THEY FEEL COMMENTS LIKE THAT EXACERBATE THAT. >> YEAH, THAT'S A VALID CONCERN. >> THERE'S A WHOLE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HURTING YOU. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SHE WAS UNIMPORTANT. AND SHE WAS. YOU KNOW, SHE WAS WILDLY IMPORTANT. >> Reporter: WE FIND MORE COMPLAINTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT FAILING TO TAKE FENTANYL SERIOUSLY. >> YOU GUYS WANT TO CATCH A DRUG DEALER LIKE HE'S LITERALLY HAD SOMEONE O.D. ON PERCOCETS. >> WE HAVE MUCH MORE ON OUR WEBSITE ABOUT THE FENTANYL CRISIS. GO TO NBCBAYAREA.COM/FIGHTINGFENTANYL.
