Victim named in March overdose death case against Bellingham man that involved fentanyl
.jpg)
Recently released court records have named the victim in a manslaughter case against the man who police said supplied the drugs that caused a fatal overdose.
Agustin Gallardo, 34, likely died March 30, but was found dead March 31 by his mother and siblings, according to court records and a statement from Bellingham Police Detective Caryn Queen.
Queen’s report said that witnesses told her that Gallardo, who was described previously as “victim 1,” inhaled a substance on March 29 that he thought was cocaine, which was brought to his Bellingham apartment by Brian T. Christensen.
Christensen, 54, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of first-degree manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance in connection with the death of Gallardo.
Gallardo died from an overdose of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the Whatcom County medical examiner.
Christensen remained in custody without bail Monday, according to online jail records.
According to court records, Gallardo inhaled the substance that Christensen gave him, thinking it was cocaine. But Gallardo’s girlfriend told police later that she heard Christensen say something about fentanyl.
Gallardo collapsed soon after inhaling the drug, according to Queen’s report.
Christensen revived Gallardo with “several doses” of Narcan provided by a neighbor, according to Gallardo’s girlfriend and the neighbor, who are not named in Queen’s probable cause statement.
In the statement, Queen said that she interviewed the neighbor who supplied the Narcan, and that the neighbor said Christensen told her he accidentally gave Gallardo fentanyl instead of cocaine.
When the neighbor and Christensen left Gallardo’s apartment on the night of March 29, they told Gallardo’s girlfriend not to let him sleep.
With that in mind, Gallardo’s girlfriend, who said she was taking methamphetamine, said she stayed awake for 24 hours, but that she dozed off about 3 a.m. March 31.
Gallardo’s mother and siblings arrived at 10 a.m. March 31, woke her and found Gallardo dead, according to Queen’s affidavit.
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 12:06 PM.
