Garfield man faces charges in fatal September 2023 drug overdose

A Garfield man was charged in a fatal September drug overdose, authorities said Thursday.

Melvin Guzman, 29, was charged in the September death of Garfield resident Ivan Santiago, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said. Guzman faces charges including first-degree strict liability in a drug-induced death and third-degree distribution of fentanyl.

The Garfield Police Department received a 911 call reporting a drug overdose involving two victims on Lincoln Place on Sept. 17, 2023, the Prosecutor's Office said. Upon arriving, officers tried to save the victims, including using naloxone. Despite these efforts, Santiago, 30, died from the overdose after being taken to a nearby hospital.

A six-month investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office and Garfield police uncovered evidence implicating Guzman in the distribution of drugs that led to Santiago's death, the Prosecutor's Office said.

Guzman was held at the Bergen County Jail pending his initial appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Garfield man faces charges in fatal September 2023 drug overdose