Arizona authorities have arrested Alicia Hegarty for allegedly providing drugs to a Marine who later died of an overdose. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reported that Marshall Luppke, who was serving in the Twentynine Palms base, died on March 14, 2021, in his home in Yucca Valley.
An autopsy was done of the Marine’s body to confirm his cause of death. The investigation was presented to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, who filed murder charges against Hegarty.
She was arrested by U.S. Marshals and is being held on $1 million bail in an Arizona jail, awaiting extradition to San Bernardino County to face murder charges. It is not clear whether she has an attorney to speak on her behalf.
Authorities have not revealed what kind of drug caused the overdose, but they have created a pilot program to combat the rise in overdose deaths. They are targeting traffickers who create counterfeit pharmaceutical pills that contain fentanyl.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department stated that drug overdose deaths, particularly among young people, are on the rise in San Bernardino County and across the country.
Marshall Luppke was born in Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1999 and was proudly serving his country in the U.S. Marine Corps. During his 2021 memorial service, he was remembered as a leader who helped others.