Star softball player in Orange County dies of possible fentanyl poisoning
She was a senior at Troy High School in Fullerton and an accomplished softball player with more all-star pins than you can count.
"That was a bonus you know, she was a great athlete," said mother Chrisa Corjeno. "But I was proud of her heart.
Cornejo's 17-year-old daughter Trinity died just 11 days ago. On Sept. 30, Trinity was sent home in an Uber after nodding off at a get-together. Cornejo said her daughter talked with her aunt as she got ready for bed.
"She did her skincare routine," said Cornejo. "She went and got an ice cream sandwich. My sister went to the restroom, came back and found her unresponsive."
Cornejo rushed home from work, to find paramedics trying to save Trinity's life. She said they told her the same thing doctors later did.
"Their speculation was an accidental fentanyl overdose because of the evidence so far they had collected from my sister," Cornejo said. "Her heart stopped beating at 8:23 a.m. on Oct. 1.
Trinity had dreams of becoming a police officer or a therapist. Since her heart was set on healing others, her mother is hoping that by sharing Trinity's story, it will help other families face the facts about the fentanyl crisis that's killing teenagers across the United States She wants people to know that people like Trinity are not addicts; they're unknowingly ingesting poison.
"I thought she understood the risk and thought she would never take the risk," said Cornejo.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the Department of Justice is allocating nearly $8 million to create a new program to fight against fentanyl.
"Today is a down payment on our work to tackle the fentanyl crisis and the poison pedlars in our neighborhoods should watch out because we are coming for them next," said Bonta.
Bonta said the 25-person task force will try to find and convict "those supplying this deadly drug to our families." So far, they have seized 4 million fentanyl pills and arrested 217 dealers.
Fullerton police are still investigating what happened in Trinity's case and awaiting further test results. In the meantime, her mother wants other parents to know this:
"This is happening in our community right now and it's not just happening to troubled youth and addicts," Cornejo said. "It's happening to good kids, honor students.
