The death of Leandro, the grandson of Robert de Niro, was a major setback for the actor's family. His mother, Drena, announced the unexpected loss in a heartfelt Instagram post. Since then, both the actress and the rest of her loved ones have tried to overcome the tragedy. However, one detail of Leandro's death stood out above all else: it was an overdose caused by adulterated pills. And now the police have found the person responsible.
Sofia Haley Marks, 20, has been arrested by the New York Police Department this past morning from Thursday to Friday. Known as the "Princess of Percocet", she has been accused of distributing narcotics and being responsible for supplying Leandro de Niro with the substances that caused his overdose on July 2. The detainee will go to court in a Manhattan court in the next few hours.
From the moment the police discovered the lifeless body of the victim, the overdose theory has been led by investigators. The corpse had white powder on its nose, in addition to other items related to drug use. Leandro was found dead in his apartment in the Financial District, one of the busiest areas of New York and the world. The coroner has yet to confirm the cause of death, but everything points in that direction.
An option that Drena de Niro took as responsible for taking her son from the beginning. Questioned about what happened, the actress responded to one of her followers on her Instagram several days after announcing her death. “Someone sold him fentanyl pills that they knew were laced and they still sold them, so to all these people who keep fucking buying and selling this shit, my son is gone forever,” she confessed.
As explained by James Essig, head of detectives for the New York Police Department, it is estimated that in the iconic city "98% of drugs are adulterated with fentanyl." This substance works as a strong synthetic opioid pain reliever, similar to morphine. However, this is between 50 and 100 times more powerful. “Fentanyl is in everything right now, in everything. People now have a very low tolerance, which is why there are so many overdoses," Essig said.
The loss of Leandro was a hard blow for Drena, who dedicated an emotional farewell message to her son days before launching the fentanyl accusation. “I don't know how to live without you, but I will try to move on and spread the love and light that you made me feel so much being your mom. You were so deeply loved and cherished and I wish that only love could have saved you. I'm so sorry, my baby. Rest in Peace and in Eternal Paradise my dear boy,” she wrote on Instagram.
