Arrest made in deaths of two Tampa men from fentanyl
Richard Thorpe mugshot courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
TAMPA, Fla. - An arrest has been made in connection with the deaths of two men in Tampa.
On May 12, 2023, Christian Castro-Rivera, 33, was found unresponsive near the 200 block of East 131st Avenue in Tampa.
He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Detectives found text messages on his phone asking how he was feeling after using drugs they had taken together.
Those text messages led investigators to conduct a welfare check on another man identified as Cristian Herrera, 28.
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Herrera was found dead.
Detectives found small bags with a white substance at both scenes. The substance was determined to be fentanyl.
After months of investigation, detectives determined the victims thought they were buying cocaine from Richard Thorpe, 40.
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Thorpe was arrested on Wednesday and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
"In the wake of a harrowing months-long investigation, our dedicated detectives found the truth, that these individuals unknowingly fell victim to fentanyl, a lethal drug that robbed them of their futures," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Through tireless efforts, team HCSO, exposed the criminal behind this devastating tragedy. I commend our deputies for their commitment to justice and for bringing closure to these grieving families."